skepticism

noun

skep·​ti·​cism ˈskep-tə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object

2

a

: the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain

b

: the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics

3

: doubt concerning basic religious principles (such as immortality, providence, and revelation)

Synonyms

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• misgiving
• mistrust
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• suspicion
• uncertainty

Choose the Right Synonym for skepticism

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Examples of skepticism in a Sentence

She regarded the researcher's claims with skepticism.

It's good to maintain a healthy skepticism about fad diets.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Black Adam star expressed remorse about his political past and cast skepticism on the state of the nation in an interview with Fox News’ Will Cain this week. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2024

So there's a lot of skepticism about whether this is politically motivated. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

Doctors have expressed deep skepticism about relying only on information provided by candidates’ personal physicians for information about their health. —Michael D. Shear Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

The findings have drawn skepticism from medical professionals who say to interpret the research with caution. —Francisco J. Rivera Rosario, Health, 3 Apr. 2024

Several polls have shown Trump eating into Biden's margins with Black voters, but there is a healthy degree of skepticism that the polls, which traditionally have relatively small samples of nonwhite voters, are correct and that those numbers will hold on Election Day. —Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024

However, its essence resonates deeply in this phase of skepticism, emphasizing the critical need for trust in this vital domain. —Simi Thambi​, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

Some investors initially expressed skepticism about Erver’s nomination, with analysts questioning whether the 42-year-old, who started at H&M as a summer trainee in 2005, could summon the firepower needed to bring about changes at the firm. —Jonas Ekblom, Fortune Europe, 27 Mar. 2024

On Tuesday, a majority of justices joined that chorus of skepticism. —Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

skepticism

noun

skep·​ti·​cism ˈskep-tə-ˌsiz-əm 

: an attitude of doubt