Definition of skeptic
1 : an adherent or advocate of skepticism
2 : a person disposed to skepticism especially regarding religion or religious principles
From the M-W Editors
Examples of skeptic in a Sentence
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 of skeptic from the Web
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Mr. Murray, a brash and folksy populist who started working in coal mines as a teenager, is an unabashed skeptic of climate science.
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Skeptics of Bevin's roving prayer group plan included Micheshia Norment, the mother of a 7-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet last month.
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Skeptics of Bevin’s roving prayer group plan included Micheshia Norment, the mother of a 7-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet last month.
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And skeptics say the mingling of aid, private charities and Western military missions could carry potentially damaging consequences for civilians and aid workers alike.
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The president has voiced skepticism about climate change himself and has appointed climate-change skeptics to key roles.
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For the skeptics out there, the authors point out that oil use per unit of global GDP has already fallen by 40 percent since 1980 amid technological progress.
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Oh, but social media are crawling with skeptics, some of whom wrote on Facebook that the photos look Photoshopped or staged to make the frog look bigger.
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Even skeptics of the extended cognition idea agree that this back and forth between the web and spider is ripe ground for more investigation and debate on how to interpret what the spiders are doing to solve problems.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skeptic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of skeptic
Latin or Greek; Latin scepticus, from Greek skeptikos, from skeptikos thoughtful, from skeptesthai to look, consider — more at spy
First Known Use: 1587
Other Philosophy Terms
SKEPTIC Defined for English Language Learners
skeptic
playDefinition of skeptic for English Language Learners
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: a person who questions or doubts something (such as a claim or statement) : a person who often questions or doubts things
SKEPTIC Defined for Kids
skeptic
playDefinition of skeptic for Students
: a person who has or shows doubt about something
Learn More about skeptic
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See words that rhyme with skeptic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for skeptic Spanish Central: Translation of skeptic Nglish: Translation of skeptic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of skeptic for Arabic speakers
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