sycophancy

noun

sy·​co·​phan·​cy ˈsi-kə-fən(t)-sē 

also ˈsī-, 

-ˌfan(t)-

: obsequious flattery

also : the character or behavior of a sycophant

Examples of sycophancy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anthropic has conducted studies on its models’ undesirable behaviors, such as disempowerment and sycophancy. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Anthropic's own researchers reached a similar conclusion in a paper presented at ICLR in 2024, finding that training on human preferences does not remove sycophancy and can encourage it, and that five leading assistants showed it consistently. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The conversations on stage ranged from how to tackle a growing AI divide between the global north and the global south to technical solutions for mitigating AI risks like models engaging in deception and sycophancy. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 July 2026

One of the main culprits is the models’ propensity for sycophancy. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

sycophan(t) + -cy, after Latin sȳcophantia, borrowed from Greek sȳkophantía, from sȳkophántēs + -ia -ia entry 1

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sycophancy

• necromancy
• chancy
• dancy
• fancy
• fiancee