hypocrisy

noun

hy·​poc·​ri·​sy hi-ˈpä-krə-sē 

 also  hī-

plural hypocrisies

1

: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel

His hypocrisy was finally revealed with the publication of his private letters.

especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion

our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness

—Lucius Garvin

2

: an act or instance of hypocrisy

a keen awareness of one's parents' hypocrisies

Synonyms

• cant
• dissembling
• dissimulation
• insincerity
• piousness

Examples of hypocrisy in a Sentence

When his private letters were made public, they revealed his hypocrisy.

the hypocrisy of people who say one thing but do another

Teenagers often have a keen awareness of their parents' hypocrisies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Exporting pollution to a developing country is hypocrisy at its worst. —Dave Cortese, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025

This smacks of a profound lack of integrity, immeasurable hypocrisy and discarding his strong commitment to the well-being of vulnerable people in the rest of the world. —Herald Readers, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025

Much criticism has come from his own family; his cousin, Caroline Kennedy, sent a letter to the Senate on Tuesday, accusing him of animal abuse, leading other family members to drug addiction, lying, hypocrisy, and more. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Jan. 2025

Strangio is joined by a number of trans activists — including famous faces like Elliot Page, and an outspoken 12-year-old named Mila — in not only expounding upon daily prejudices and hypocrisies of anti-trans alarmism, but also daily mundanities. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ypocrisye, borrowed from Anglo-French ypocrisie, borrowed from Late Latin hypocrisis, ypocrisis, borrowed from Greek hypókrisis "playing a part on the stage, pretending to be something one is not," from hypokri-, variant stem of hypokrī́nomai, hypokrī́nesthai "to reply, make an answer, speak in dialogue, play a part on the stage, feign" (from hypo- hypo- + krī́nomai, middle voice of krī́nō, krī́nein "to separate, choose, decide, judge") + -sis, suffix forming nouns of action or process — more at certain entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hypocrisy

noun

hy·​poc·​ri·​sy hip-ˈäk-rə-sē 

plural hypocrisies

: behavior that does not agree with what one claims to believe or feel

the hypocrisy of people who say one thing and do another