Agency Dictionary
Skepticism
nounPronunciation: /ˈskep.tɪ.sɪ.zəm/
In Portuguese: Ceticismo
Philosophy & EthicsWhat does “Skepticism” mean?
An attitude of doubt or critical inquiry regarding claims that lack clear empirical proof. It protects consumers and researchers from accepting deceptive assertions uncritically.
Etymology
From New Latin scepticismus, equivalent to skeptic plus the suffix -ism. The Greek base skeptikos means inquiring or thoughtful. The word names both the ancient philosophical school that suspended judgment and any systematic attitude of critical doubt.
Usage note
Skepticism and cynicism are often confused: skepticism suspends judgment pending evidence, while cynicism assumes bad faith or negative outcomes without examining evidence.
Synonyms
- doubt
- incredulity
- disbelief
Word family
- skeptic
- skeptical
- skeptically
Concepts
- GreenwashingGreenwashing is a deceptive marketing practice where a corporation presents an unsubstantiated or exaggerated image of environmental responsibility. It misleads consumers…
- PostmodernismPostmodernism is a broad intellectual movement characterized by skepticism toward grand narratives, absolute truths, and universal ideologies. It emphasizes…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- Antithesisnoun
- A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
- Discursiveadjective
- Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
- Treatisenoun
- A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
- Tangibleadjective
- Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
- Holisticadjective
- Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.
- Abyssnoun
- A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
- aestheticsnoun
- A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
- Affectnoun
- An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
- Agapenoun
- A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
- Ambiguitynoun
- The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.
Also from these editions: terms
- quotationnoun
- A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
- eppur si muoveother
- An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- verbatimadjective
- In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
- clevernessnoun
- The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
- rhetoricnoun
- The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
- literary devicenoun
- A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
- collective consciousnessnoun
- The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
- Acronymnoun
- A word formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. It simplifies complex institutional designations into recognizable units.
- Byproductnoun
- A secondary, often unexpected result or incidental creation derived from an ongoing process or effort.
- catalystnoun
- A substance or factor that accelerates a chemical reaction or stimulates widespread systemic change without being consumed.
- comfort zonenoun
- The set of situations and habits in which a person feels safe and in control, without risk or anxiety. Leaving it is commonly described as a condition for learning and growth.
Also from these editions: concepts
- AphorismAn aphorism is a concise, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, ethical principle, or philosophical observation in very few words. Unlike casual sayings, it…
- Philosophical WisdomPhilosophical wisdom is the integrated capacity to synthesize deep moral understanding, sound ethical judgment, and lived experience in navigation of human life. It…
- David HumeDavid Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. In Writing.2, the article…
- Aphoristic StyleAphoristic style is a literary mode of writing composed of detached, numbered, or highly condensed statements that convey complex philosophical ideas with striking…
- State of NatureThe state of nature is a foundational philosophical concept used to hypothesize the human condition prior to the establishment of organized political societies, civil…
- SophismA sophism is a plausibly phrased argument or line of reasoning that appears logically valid on the surface but contains an underlying intentional fallacy meant to…
- Action and Non-ActionAction and non-action represent complementary philosophical states governing human agency, existential responsibility, and systemic intervention within the world. While…
- YodaYoda is a character of the Star Wars films, an old Jedi master who trains others in the Force. In the Agency editorial, Writing.2 offers one of his sentences as an…
- Zygmunt BaumanZygmunt Bauman was a Polish sociologist and philosopher, known for the idea of liquid modernity. In the Agency editorial, Issue.6 presents him as the thinker who…
- Act of ExistenceThe act of existence is the name the author of the Agency editorial gives, in his own philosophical draft, to existing as something one does and answers for, not…
- IntelligenceIntelligence is the set of cognitive abilities that allow a mind to reason, solve problems, learn and adapt. The Agency editorial places it between cleverness and wisdom…
- WorldviewA worldview is the comprehensive cognitive framework of foundational beliefs, values, and assumptions through which an individual or cultural group interprets reality and…