hypocrisy

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

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

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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

Certainly, there is hypocrisy among some conservatives who may rely upon the government for their livelihoods while decrying big government.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "Politico’s tone-deaf, unhelpful cartoon about conservatives being rescued from Harvey by the government," 30 Aug. 2017
Most politicians face accusations of hypocrisy all the time.

— alex hindman, Fortune, "The Roots of Trump’s Hypocrisy," 29 Aug. 2017
The accusations of hypocrisy likely refer to a law proposed by Macron against parliamentarians employing family or spouses.

— suzannah weiss, Glamour, "Brigitte Macron Won't Be Getting a "First Lady" Position," 9 Aug. 2017
Though many used social media to criticize the woman, plenty of others came to her defense, highlighting the hypocrisy of this investigation when foreign women are not held to the same standards.

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "A Saudi Woman Was Arrested for Snapchatting Herself Wearing a Miniskirt in Public," 18 July 2017
Meanwhile, Democrats derided the event as the height of hypocrisy, given the fact that Trump companies feature numerous items made overseas, from dress ties to golf shirts.

— david jackson, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana brooms sweep into White House for 'Made in America' week," 17 July 2017
The jaw drops not at the natural world, but the sheer hypocrisy of the American government, which sent young Japanese men to fight for the United States while their families were locked up in internment camps.

— tal rosenberg, Chicago Reader, "Everyone in Chicago should see ‘Then They Came for Me’," 12 July 2017
The White House press office, however, accused Clinton's team of hypocrisy.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Russian government sought to aid Trump’s candidacy, according to email," 11 July 2017
The White House press office, however, accused Clinton's team of hypocrisy.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Russian government sought to aid Trump’s candidacy, according to email," 11 July 2017

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 ypocrisie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, from hypokrinesthai to answer, act on the stage, from hypo- + krinein to decide — more at certain

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First Known Use: 13th century

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hypocrisy Synonyms

Synonyms

cant, dissembling, dissimulation, insincerity, piousness

Antonyms

genuineness, sincereness, sincerity

Near Antonyms

candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, honesty, openheartedness, openness, probity, straightforwardness, truthfulness; artlessness, guilelessness, naturalness, unaffectedness

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