Hypocrisy is a word that originates from the Greek hupokrisis which means "the act of playing a role", or "pretending".

In the dictionary, hypocrisy is defined as the action or attitude of pretending a feeling, virtue, quality or belief that one does not possess, an attitude contrary to what one believes or preaches .

It is a word that can be used to describe the action of deceiving or misleading others, often intentionally.

In this article, we will explore in depth the definition, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, trivia, and usage examples of the word "hypocrisy".

Meaning and etymology of hypocrisy

In Ancient Greece, the word was used to describe the actors who played the characters in the theater. The actors were " hypocrites ", because they needed to fake feelings or emotions that they did not possess in real life.

The term was adopted by the Romans and later by Christians, who used it to describe people who presented themselves as pious or devout, but were in fact hypocrites.

The word first appeared in English in 1553, in the book " The Comedie of Acolastus "by Alexander Nowell.

Synonyms and antonyms

Hypocrisy can be substituted for or can be opposed to several other words.

Some synonyms of hypocrisy : falsehood, dissimulation, pretence, deception, artifice, simulacrum, simulated, farce, fraud, lie, imposture, among others.

Unlike hypocrisy, the sincerity is a direct antonym, because it implies telling the truth and being honest in all circumstances. So are the ideas related to transparency, honesty and coherence.

Other antonyms include: authenticity, transparency, honesty, integrity, frankness, truthfulness, faithfulness, loyalty, coherence, consistency, reliability, truthfulness, authenticity, faithfulness, and sincerity.

Examples of famous words and phrases

Some examples of word usage :

• She was always very nice to me, but I found out that she was a hypocrite when I heard her talking bad about me behind my back.
• The politician used to make speeches about honesty and ethics, but in reality he was a big hypocrite, involved in several corruption scandals.
• He presented himself as a fervent religious man, but in reality he was a hypocrite, who stole and lied to others.

Some phrases from literature, music and cinema About hypocrisy:

• "Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue" (François de La Rochefoucauld, "Reflections or Sentences and Moral Maxims," 1665).
• "What is virtue but the appearance of good?" (William Shakespeare, "Hamlet," act 3, scene 1).
• "Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue" (Jean de La Bruyère, "The Characters," 1688).
• "Hypocrisy is the favorite vice of politicians" - William Hazlitt, English essayist and literary critic.
• "No one is as hypocritical as the drug addict who is trying to quit" - Dr. Drew Pinsky, physician and American television personality.
• "Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue" - François de La Rochefoucauld, French writer and moralist.
• "What is hypocrisy? When a man uses lies in his speech for political purposes, that is when hypocrisy begins."- Confucius, Chinese philosopher.
• "If hypocrisy were a virtue, the world would be full of saints" - Florence Scovel Shinn, American writer and illustrator.

Curiosities about hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a fascinating topic and full of curiosities. Below we list five interesting topics about the word:

• Origin of the word : The word "hypocrisy" comes from the ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hypokrisis). The term was first used by Plato in his dialogues in the 4th century B.C. to describe actors playing different roles in the theater.
• Psychology and in psychoanalysis: The term is used to describe a person who pretends to have a virtue, feeling, or belief that he or she does not possess. Hypocrisy can be a sign of emotional or psychological disorders, such as anxiety disorder, insecurity, or fear of rejection.
• Religion In the Bible, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, calling them "whitewashed sepulchers" (Matthew 23:27-28). The French philosopher Voltaire also criticized the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church in his book "Candide" (1759).
• Literature, Film and Theater : Some notable examples of hypocritical characters are in Molière's "Tartuffe," Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," and Jean Renoir's "The Rule of the Game."
• Policy : Politicians are often accused of being hypocrites for not keeping their campaign promises or for acting in ways that contradict their stated values.

Similar terms, subtle differences

There are subtle differences between this word and other words. Let's look at the ones that create the most conflicts of understanding.

• Difference between hypocrisy and cynicism The main difference is that cynicism is the attitude of someone who doesn't believe in virtues, while hypocrisy is the attitude of someone who pretends to have virtues that he doesn't have.
• Difference between hypocrisy and dissimulation Dissimulation is the art of hiding one's true feelings and thoughts, without necessarily acting contrary to them, while hypocrisy is the attitude of pretending to have virtues or beliefs that one does not possess.
• Difference between hypocrisy and lying : Lying is the assertion of something one knows to be false, while hypocrisy is the attitude of acting contrary to one's beliefs or virtues, pretending to have something one does not have.
• Difference between hypocrisy and irony Irony is a figure of speech that consists in saying the opposite of what one wants to express, with the intention of conveying a different or opposite message, while hypocrisy is the attitude of acting contrary to one's beliefs or virtues, pretending to have something that one does not have.
• Difference between hypocrisy and falsehood Falsehood is the attitude of acting in a way contrary to what one feels or thinks, with the intention of deceiving or harming someone, while hypocrisy is the attitude of acting contrary to one's beliefs or virtues, pretending to have something one doesn't have.

We have finished here the list of differences between hypocrisy and other words that often cause confusion. We hope we have helped to clarify the differences between these terms.

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Conclusion: meaning of hypocrisy and hypocrite

We have seen that it is a complex word that has many meanings and applications in different areas of knowledge.

Although it is often used to describe an attitude of falsehood and insincerity, it can also be seen as a form of self-deception. Thus, a person initially seen as hypocritical person may act this way because she doesn't admit her own defects and limitations. She may need help from other people, including psychoanalytic psychotherapy and self-knowledge.

In any case, it is important to be aware of the use of this word and understand its true meaning, to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.