hypocrisy

noun hy·poc·ri·sy \ hi-ˈpä-krə-sē also hī- \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Definition of hypocrisy

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

See hypocrisy defined for English-language learners

See hypocrisy defined for kids

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 of hypocrisy from the Web

Hips against hypocrisy! — Gin (@DrGinVintage) July 1, 2018 Those commenting on your body should focus more on what your plans are to serve the people of your district.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Mo. candidate hits back at 'trolls' who say her hips are too big. 'No body shaming'," 3 July 2018
Buy Photo Independence Day has always represented a time of emotional conflict for me, but this year the conflict runs much deeper than my struggle with America’s historical hypocrisy.

— solomon jones, Philly.com, "Not everyone in America is free this Fourth of July | Solomon Jones," 3 July 2018
There were calls to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and suggestions of hypocrisy among politicians who support Mr. Trump's policies and stress family values.

— michael r. sisak and julie walker, The Christian Science Monitor, "New York protesters face the heat to decry ICE practices," 2 July 2018
The other side of the coin The fact that Wilkinson is being celebrated in certain corners as some kind of hero only shows you how deep into hypocrisy our angry divisions have thrown us.

— mitch albom, Detroit Free Press, "Mitch Albom: The ricochet effect of public shaming now on full display," 30 June 2018
Trump acknowledged for the first time her intention to move forward with the topic, despite what could be perceived as hypocrisy.

— kate bennett, CNN, "Melania Trump unveils her platform, tells kids to 'Be Best'," 7 May 2018
Authenticity and consistency aren’t necessarily valued for their own sake, and the concealment of authentic honne behind conventional tatemae is often construed as an act of unselfishness and sociability, rather than of deception or hypocrisy.

— kathryn schulz, The New Yorker, "Japan’s Rent-a-Family Industry," 23 Apr. 2018
Yet, in Tehran, Trump’s enthusiastic outreach to a rogue nation with a history of human rights and nonproliferation violations renewed accusations of U.S. hypocrisy.

— ramin mostaghim, latimes.com, "Remember the 'axis of evil'? There's one member left, and its chances for a Trump summit look dim," 14 June 2018
The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil has called out that hypocrisy with regards to the casting of actor Emile Hirsch in Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

— EW.com, "Jameela Jamil slams Tarantino casting of Emile Hirsch after assault conviction," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hypocrisy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hypocrisy

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 ¹certain

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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hypocrisy Synonyms

HYPOCRISY Defined for English Language Learners

hypocrisy

noun

Definition of hypocrisy for English Language Learners

: the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do : behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel