skeptic

noun

skep·​tic ˈskep-tik 

1

: an adherent or advocate of skepticism

2

: a person disposed to skepticism especially regarding religion or religious principles

Synonyms

• disbeliever
• doubter
• doubting Thomas
• questioner
• unbeliever

Example Sentences

Skeptics have pointed out flaws in the researchers' methods.

You can believe in ghosts if you like, but I'm still a skeptic.

He is a skeptic and a cynic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Until recently its billionaire founder, Ken Griffin, had been an outspoken skeptic of cryptocurrencies. Alexander Osipovich, WSJ, 13 Sep. 2022

Bittker was a great skeptic and somebody whose natural instinct was to poke holes in other people's arguments. Robert Goulder, Forbes, 8 June 2022

But the service had a powerful skeptic: David Zaslav, the chief executive of Discovery, who was on the verge of completing a merger with WarnerMedia that would put him in control of the news network. New York Times, 21 Apr. 2022

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde is a crypto skeptic. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 27 May 2022

Le Pen is a skeptic of the continent’s defining geopolitical institutions — the European Union and NATO — and peddles a hypernationalism that could yet one day take France out of both. Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022

Shoppers specifically pointed to PiperWai's ingredient list as their reasoning for making the switch, including one who described themselves as a natural deodorant skeptic. Lauren Rearick, PEOPLE.com, 15 Apr. 2022

Le Pen, once considered a climate-change skeptic, wants to scrap subsidies for renewable energies. Thomas Adamson And Patrick Hermansen, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2022

Le Pen, once considered a climate-change skeptic, wants to scrap subsidies for renewable energies. NBC News, 24 Apr. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Latin or Greek; Latin scepticus, from Greek skeptikos, from skeptikos thoughtful, from skeptesthai to look, consider — more at spy

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

skeptic

noun

skep·​tic ˈskep-tik 

: a person slow to believe or ready to question : doubter