hypocrisy
noun
hy·poc·ri·sy
hi-ˈpä-krə-sē 
also hī-
plural hypocrisies
1
: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel
His hypocrisy was finally revealed with the publication of his private letters.
especially
: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion
our conventional morality often serves as a cover for hypocrisy and selfishness —
Lucius Garvin
Lucius Garvin 2
: an act or instance of hypocrisy
a keen awareness of one's parents' hypocrisies
Examples of hypocrisy in a Sentence
When his private letters were made public, they revealed his hypocrisy.
the hypocrisy of people who say one thing but do another
Teenagers often have a keen awareness of their parents' hypocrisies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jersey sales was probably one of the most egregious hypocrisies of the NCAA’s amateurism rule for student athletes, which stipulated that players were never to benefit financially from their name, image and likeness — even if others did.
—Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
And in the 1963 Czech cult classic The Cassandra Cat, a tabby exposes the truth by making people’s skin change color based on their moral character — red for love, orange or violet for hypocrisy.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
The series highlights the absurdities and hypocrisies therein.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Masterson said Holscher’s assessment of the GOP smacks of hypocrisy.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocrisy
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Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
And in the 1963 Czech cult classic The Cassandra Cat, a tabby exposes the truth by making people’s skin change color based on their moral character — red for love, orange or violet for hypocrisy.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
The series highlights the absurdities and hypocrisies therein.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Masterson said Holscher’s assessment of the GOP smacks of hypocrisy.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocrisy
Cite this Entry
“Hypocrisy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrisy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hypocrisy
noun
hy·poc·ri·sy
hip-ˈäk-rə-sē
plural hypocrisies
: behavior that does not agree with what one claims to believe or feel
the hypocrisy of people who say one thing and do another
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