skepticism

noun

skep·ti·cism ˈskep-tə-ˌsi-zəm

Synonyms of skepticism next

: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object

: the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain

: the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics

: doubt concerning basic religious principles (such as immortality, providence, and revelation)

Choose the Right Synonym for skepticism

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Example Sentences

She regarded the researcher's claims with skepticism. It's good to maintain a healthy skepticism about fad diets.

Recent Examples on the Web While still a candidate, President Biden and his then running mate Kamala Harris expressed skepticism that a vaccine could be safe for general use so soon. —

Mica Soellner, Washington Examiner, 22 Feb. 2021 The template stuck, especially as young people’s idealistic skepticism of government during the sixties gave way to perceptions, in the seventies and eighties, of prosecutors as fighting a nationwide rise in crime. —

Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2020 The Utility Reform Network, a group that has a long been one of PG&E's toughest critics, expressed skepticism about whether Poppe will be able to turn the tide at the company in light of the poor track record of the previous CEOs. —

Michael Liedtke, Star Tribune, 18 Nov. 2020 However those numbers were met with skepticism from community advocates and researchers who noted the total contradicted a Sheriff’s Department statement from earlier in the year which put the number of inmate transfers in 2018 at 519. —

Charles T. Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Nov. 2020 Transformative transportation projects rightly deserve skepticism, but Maynard Holliday, a senior engineer with the RAND Corporation, who has an expertise in robotics and transportation technologies like autonomous vehicles, is bullish on the future of hyperloop-type tech. —

Rob Verger, Popular Science, 11 Nov. 2020 Hiroaki Nakanishi, head of the business federation Keidanren, said Japan was containing the virus well but expressed skepticism that other countries would be ready next year, citing high death tolls from Covid-19 in India and Brazil. —

Alastair Gale, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2020 Alas, Woodward’s work on pulsars only managed to raise skepticism among his peers. —

Daniel Oberhaus, Wired, 3 Sep. 2020 Though the lawsuit was settled, skepticism persisted. —

Brett Watson, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skepticism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.