cynicism
noun
cyn·i·cism
ˈsi-nə-ˌsi-zəm 
1
Cynicism
: the doctrine of the Cynics (see cynic sense 2)
2
: cynical attitude or quality
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
also
: a cynical comment or act
pungent cynicisms
Examples of cynicism in a Sentence
Nothing could change her cynicism about politics.
Recent Examples on the Web
And in a social media obsessed society often reduced to a cacophony of complaints, the back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner should be spared the cynicism that, regardless of his choice, is certain to come his way.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Her cynicism and King George’s sincere faith in others clash.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
How to put this to work The goal here isn’t cynicism.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
But the combination of naked ambition, absence of cynicism, and a sunny disposition seemed awfully suspicious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Her cynicism and King George’s sincere faith in others clash.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
How to put this to work The goal here isn’t cynicism.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
But the combination of naked ambition, absence of cynicism, and a sunny disposition seemed awfully suspicious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cynicism
Cite this Entry
“Cynicism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cynicism. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cynicism
noun
cyn·i·cism
ˈsin-ə-ˌsiz-əm
: a cynical attitude or quality
also
: an expression of cynical quality
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
