Synonyms

skepticism

American

[skep-tuh-siz-uhm] / ˈskɛp təˌsɪz əm /

Or scepticism

noun

skeptical attitude or temper; doubt.

Synonyms:

questioning
doubt or unbelief with regard to a religion, especially Christianity.

Synonyms:

agnosticism, atheism, disbelief

Antonyms:

faith
(initial capital letter) the doctrines or opinions of philosophical Skeptics; universal doubt.

skepticism Cultural

In philosophy, the position that what cannot be proved by reason should not be believed. One of the main tasks of epistemology is to find an answer to the charge of some extreme skeptics that no knowledge is possible.

Other Word Forms

antiskepticism noun

Etymology

Origin of skepticism

First recorded in 1640–50; from New Latin scepticismus; equivalent to skeptic + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite recent stock gains, analysts express skepticism, citing investment costs, inflation, and competition, with past analyst days often leading to stock declines.

From Barron's

That absence has fueled skepticism about whether sponges truly originated as early as genetic evidence suggests.

From Science Daily

In December, Howard Marks published an investment memo titled, “Is it a bubble?” that expressed some of his skepticism and reservations about artificial intelligence and the stock-market boom it had created.

From MarketWatch

“However, the positive earnings surprises weren’t on the scale of what markets got used to in 2023-24, and arrived amid growing skepticism about the AI trade in general,” he added.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023