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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary hy·poc·ri·sy (plural -sies) ETYMOLOGY Middle English ypocrisie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, from hypokrinesthai to answer, act on the stage, from hypo- + krinein to decide — more at certain DATE 13th century 1. a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion 2. an act or instance of hypocrisy English Etymology hypocrisy early 13c., from O.Fr . ypocrisie, from L.L. hypocrisis, from Gk.hypokrisis "acting on the stage, pretense," from hypokrinesthai"play a part, pretend," also "answer," from hypo- "under" (see sub-) + middle voice of krinein "to sift, decide" (see crisis). The sense evolution is from "separate gradually" to "answer" to "answer a fellow actor on stage" to "play a part." "Hypocrisy is the art of affecting qualities for the purpose of pretending to an undeserved virtue. Because individuals and institutions and societies most often live down to the suspicions about them, hypocrisy and its accompanying equivocations underpin the conduct of life. Imagine how frightful truth unvarnished would be." [Benjamin F. Martin, "France in 1938," 2005]http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 hypocrisy hyp·oc·risy / hi5pCkrEsi; NAmE hi5pB:k- / noun(pl. -ies) [U, C] (disapproving) behaviour in which sb pretends to have moral standards or opinions that they do not actually have 伪善；虚伪: He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do six thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: noun the pretense or affectation of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one does not actually have FF1C;political hypocrisyFF1E; Synonyms: cant, hypocriticalness, pecksniffery, pharisaicalness, pharisaism, sanctimoniousness, sanctimony, sham, Tartuffery, Tartuffism Related Words: pietism, religiosity; casuistry, glibness, insincerity, self-righteousness, unctiousness; charlatanry, humbug, quackery Contrasted Words: candidness, fairness, openness; honesty, probity, truthfulness Antonyms: sincerity Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged hy·poc·ri·sy \hə̇ˈpäkrəsē, -si sometimes hīˈ-\ noun (-es) Etymology: Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, outward show, from hypokrinesthai to answer, play a part on the stage, act, pretend, from hypo- + krinesthai to dispute, krinein to decide, judge — more at certain 1. : the act or practice of pretending to be what one is not or to have principles or beliefs that one does not have < the passing stranger who took such a vitriolic joy in exposing their pretensions and their hypocrisy — Van Wyck Brooks > especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion < may admit that our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness — Lucius Garvin > 2. : an act or instance of hypocrisy < the little hypocrisies which are so frequently the rule rather than the exception in human contacts — Erle Stanley Gardner > |
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