Meaning & use

skepticism

noun·Academic

An attitude of doubting claims or beliefs until they are supported by sufficient evidence.

See it in a sentence

The scientist approached the new theory with skepticism until the data was independently confirmed.

Her skepticism about the deal grew after the salesman avoided several direct questions.

A note on using this word

British English spells it 'scepticism'; both describe questioning rather than automatically accepting a claim.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

credulitytrust

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