Hypocrisy

Origin

From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupokrisis, "answer, stage acting, pretense"), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrinomai, "I reply"), from ὑπό (hupo, "under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix") + the middle voice of κρίνω (krinō, "I separate, judge, decide").

Full definition of hypocrisy

Noun

1. the claim or pretense of holding beliefs, feelings, standards, qualities, opinions, behaviours, virtues, motivations, or other characteristics that one does not in actual fact hold. from early 13th c.
2. the practice of engaging in the same behaviour or activity for which one criticises another; moral self-contradiction whereby the behavior of one or more people belies their own claimed or implied possession of certain beliefs, standards or virtues.
3. an instance of either or both of the above.

Derived terms

• hypocritical
• hypocritically
• hypocrite