# hypocrisy

/hɪˈpɑkɹəsi/ (US) · /hɪpˈɒkɹəsi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hypocrisy
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. moral self-contradiction

noun · CEFR B2

the act of saying you believe in certain good things but then doing the opposite.

For teachers: the practice of engaging in the same behaviour for which one criticises others, or claiming to possess virtues that one's actions belie.

- It was pure hypocrisy for the boss to complain about lateness when he was always late himself.
- The politician's hypocrisy was exposed when journalists discovered he had been evading the very taxes he had publicly campaigned to increase.

### 2. a specific instance

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a specific example or case where someone has been insincere or used a double standard.

For teachers: a particular instance or occurrence of hypocritical behaviour. Countable in this sense.

- The report listed several hypocrisies in the company's environmental policy.
- Critics were quick to point out the various hypocrisies inherent in the administration's new stance on international trade.

## Examples

- It is pure hypocrisy for him to complain about lateness.
- The politician faced accusations of hypocrisy after he was caught breaking the very lockdown rules he had helped create.
- Critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the corporation's environmental campaign, noting that its primary manufacturing plants continued to bypass local emissions regulations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.