skepticism

noun

skep·​ti·​cism ˈskep-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object

2

a

: the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain

b

: the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics

3

: doubt concerning basic religious principles (such as immortality, providence, and revelation)

Synonyms

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrust
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Choose the Right Synonym for skepticism

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Examples of skepticism in a Sentence

She regarded the researcher's claims with skepticism.

It's good to maintain a healthy skepticism about fad diets.

Recent Examples on the Web

The idea that some demonstrators were being compensated sparked wider skepticism. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 20 May 2025

Ziff, in spite of some family skepticism toward Margouleff and his scheme, agreed. —Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

What Makes the Comment Noteworthy: The commenter highlights how volatile polling can be—and points to a broader skepticism toward polling accuracy that has grown since 2016. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025

When belief in a conspiracy theory is met with skepticism, the believer may feel misunderstood, leading to emotional distance. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for skepticism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

skepticism

noun

skep·​ti·​cism ˈskep-tə-ˌsiz-əm 

: an attitude of doubt