Hypocrisy
/hɪˈpɒk.rɪ.si/noun
The act of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs that one’s actions do not match.
Did you know?In Ancient Greek, the related verb hypokrinesthai meant “to answer” or “to act on stage,” so the word’s moral bite grew from theater, performance, and the ancient suspicion that pretending can become a kind of deception.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hypokrisis
“acting on a stage; play-acting, performance”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hypokrinesthai
“to answer, interpret, or perform as an actor”
Late Latin
Latin
hypocrisis
“dissimulation; acting a part”
Old French
Old French
ypocrisie
“pretended virtue; dissembling”
Middle English
English
ypocrisie
“the practice of pretending to be pious or virtuous”
Modern English
English
hypocrisy
“the practice of claiming beliefs or virtues one does not genuinely possess”