hypocrisy

hypocrisy
hypocrisy c.1200, ipocrisie, from O.Fr. ypocrisie, from L.L. hypocrisis, from Gk. hypokrisis "acting on the stage, pretense," from hypokrinesthai "play a part, pretend," also "answer," from hypo- "under" (see SUB- (Cf. sub-)) + middle voice of krinein "to sift, decide" (see CRISIS (Cf. crisis)). The sense evolution in Attic Greek is from "separate gradually" to "answer" to "answer a fellow actor on stage" to "play a part." The h- was restored in English 16c.
Hypocrisy is the art of affecting qualities for the purpose of pretending to an undeserved virtue. Because individuals and institutions and societies most often live down to the suspicions about them, hypocrisy and its accompanying equivocations underpin the conduct of life. Imagine how frightful truth unvarnished would be. [Benjamin F. Martin, "France in 1938," 2005]

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Hypocrisy — est un groupe de death metal mélodique suédois fondé en 1990 à Ludvika (Suède) par et autour de son charismatique leader Peter Tägtgren. Il est l un des chefs de file de la très prolifique scène metal scandinave. Hypocrisy live in Glasgow,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • hypocrisy — hypocrisy, sanctimony, pharisaism, cant mean the pretense or affectation of being more virtuous or more religious than one actually is. The same differences in implications and connotations are found in their corresponding adjectives,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Hypocrisy — • The pretension to qualities which one does not possess, or, more cognately to the scope of this article, the putting forward of a false appearance of virtue or religion Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Hypocrisy     Hypocrisy …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Hypocrisy — Hypocrisy …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hypocrisy — Hy*poc ri*sy (h[i^]*p[o^]k r[i^]*s[y^]), n.; pl. {Hypocrisies} ( s[i^]z). [OE. hypocrisie, ypocrisie, OF. hypocrisie, ypocrisie, F. hypocrisie, L. hypocrisis, fr. Gr. ypo krisis the playing a part on the stage, simulation, outward show, fr. ypokr …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hypocrisy — [hi päk′rə sē] n. pl. hypocrisies [ME ipocrisie < OFr < L hypocrisis, mimicry (in LL(Ec), pretended sanctity) < Gr hypokrisis, acting a part (in LXX and N.T., hypocrisy) < hypokrinesthai, to play a part < hypo , HYPO + krinesthai,… …   English World dictionary

  • hypocrisy — I noun artfulness, charlatanism, charlatanry, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, dishonesty, dissembling, dissimulatio, double dealing, duplicity, false profession, falsification, fraud, fraudulence, fraus, front, guile, hollow pretense, imposture …   Law dictionary

  • hypocrisy — [n] deceitfulness, pretense affectation, bad faith*, bigotry, cant, casuistry, deceit, deception, dishonesty, display, dissembling, dissimulation, double dealing, duplicity, false profession, falsity, fraud, glibness, imposture, insincerity,… …   New thesaurus

  • hypocrisy — ► NOUN (pl. hypocrisies) ▪ the practice of claiming to have higher standards or beliefs than is the case. ORIGIN Greek hupokrisis acting of a theatrical part …   English terms dictionary

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