Cynicism: meaning, definitions and examples

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cynicism

 

[ หˆsษชnษชsษชz(ษ™)m ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

attitude towards society

Cynicism is an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others.

Synonyms

disbelief, distrust, skepticism

Examples of usage

  • Her cynicism about politicians makes her reluctant to vote in elections.
  • His constant cynicism towards social media is well known among his friends.
Context #2 | Noun

philosophy

In philosophy, cynicism refers to the belief that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting out of concern for others.

Synonyms

disillusionment, pessimism, skepticism

Examples of usage

  • The ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes is often associated with cynicism.
  • Her cynicism led her to question the true intentions of those around her.

Translations

Translations of the word "cynicism" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น ceticismo

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคจเคฟเค‚เคฆเค•เคคเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Zynismus

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ sinisme

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ั†ะธะฝั–ะทะผ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ cynizm

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ็šฎ่‚‰

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท cynisme

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ cinismo

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท sinisizm

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋ƒ‰์†Œ์ฃผ์˜

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุชุดุงุคู…

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ cynismus

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ cynizmus

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ„คไธ–ๅซ‰ไฟ—

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ cinizem

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ kaldhรฆรฐni

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ั†ะธะฝะธะทะผ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒชแƒ˜แƒœแƒ˜แƒ–แƒ›แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ sinizm

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ cinismo

Etymology

The word 'cynicism' comes from the ancient Greek school of philosophy known as Cynicism, which was founded by Antisthenes and later followed by Diogenes of Sinope. The Cynics believed in living a simple life in accordance with nature and rejecting conventional desires. Over time, the term 'cynicism' evolved to refer to a general attitude of distrust and negativity towards others.

See also: cynical, cynically.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #16,365, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.