skepticism
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a feeling of doubt about whether something is true or if it will work.
an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object.
Simple“The public reacted with skepticism when the politician promised to lower all taxes.”
In context“Despite the CEO's optimistic projections, there was considerable skepticism among the investors regarding the company's ability to scale so quickly.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
the habit of only believing things that can be proven by facts and science.
the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics; a requirement for empirical evidence before accepting a claim.
Simple“Scientific skepticism means we don't accept new ideas until we see the evidence.”
In context“The peer-review process is designed to apply rigorous skepticism to new findings, ensuring that only well-supported theories enter the scientific canon.”
SynonymsAntonymsdogmatism - 03 C2 Proficiency
the philosophical idea that people can never be 100% certain about anything.
the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain; the method of suspended judgment.
Simple“In his philosophy class, they discussed skepticism and whether we can trust our own senses.”
In context“Radical skepticism challenges the very possibility of objective knowledge, suggesting that our perceptions may not correspond to an external reality.”
SynonymsagnosticismpyrrhonismAntonyms
“Both Marra and Fagan have expressed scepticism about recent attempts by the Scottish Parliament to make it easier for an individual to change their legally recognised sex .”
“Some researchers hypothesized that he was part of Pliny the Elder’s rescue mission , though others have expressed skepticism .”
From New Latin scepticismus; equivalent to skeptic + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.