hypocrisy Definition
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.
Using hypocrisy: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "hypocrisy" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The politician was accused of hypocrisy for preaching family values while having an affair.
Example
She criticized her friend's smoking habit despite being a smoker herself, revealing her own hypocrisy.
Example
The company's environmental policy was exposed as mere hypocrisy when it was revealed they were dumping toxic waste into the river.
hypocrisy Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with hypocrisy
Example
It's easy to cry hypocrisy, but it's harder to live up to one's own standards.
the act of pretending to have virtues, principles, or beliefs that one does not actually possess or follow
Example
The hypocrisy of his words was revealed when he was caught doing the opposite of what he preached.
Example
For a politician who claims to be a champion of the working class to own multiple mansions is the height of hypocrisy.
Origins of hypocrisy
from Old French 'ypocrisie', from ecclesiastical Latin 'hypocrisis', from Greek 'hupokrisis', meaning 'acting of a theatrical part'
Summary: hypocrisy in Brief
The term 'hypocrisy' [hɪˈpɒkrɪsi] refers to the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs that one's own behavior does not conform to. It is often used to criticize people who preach one thing but do another, as in 'The politician was accused of hypocrisy for preaching family values while having an affair.' 'Hypocrisy' can also be expressed through phrases like 'cry hypocrisy,' and 'the height of hypocrisy,' which denote accusations of insincerity and pretense.
