hypocrisy
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.
The act or state of feigning to be what one is not, especially in matters of virtue, piety, or sincerity. It can refer to an individual's action or a systemic, collective insincerity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically refers to a blameworthy contradiction between professed and actual principles. Related to but distinct from 'irony' (which involves an incongruity) and 'duplicity' (which involves deliberate deceit).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or frequency. The concept is equally prevalent in both cultural discourses.
Connotations
Strongly negative in both dialects, associated with moral failure, insincerity, and untrustworthiness.
Frequency
Common in political, religious, and social commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
accuse someone of hypocrisythe hypocrisy of [gerund/noun phrase]hypocrisy on the part ofsee through the hypocrisyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The height of hypocrisy”
- “Practice what you preach (anti-hypocrisy idiom)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Criticising a company's public sustainability pledges while its practices pollute the environment.
Academic
Analyzing the hypocrisy inherent in colonial powers' 'civilizing mission' rhetoric.
Everyday
Calling out a friend who lectures on healthy eating but lives on takeaways.
Technical
In social psychology, studying cognitive dissonance in hypocritical behavior.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The minister was hypocrising about family values while having an affair.
- Politicians often hypocrise on tax policy.
American English
- The company hypocrises about worker welfare while opposing unionization.
- He tends to hypocrise when discussing his charitable work.
adverb
British English
- He smiled hypocritically while plotting her dismissal.
- She hypocritically claimed to support the strike.
American English
- They spoke hypocritically about fiscal responsibility after massive bailouts.
- He nodded hypocritically during the ethics lecture.
adjective
British English
- His hypocritical stance on climate change was widely mocked.
- A deeply hypocritical sermon from a corrupt priest.
American English
- The senator's hypocritical attack backfired spectacularly.
- Their hypocritical policies hurt the very people they claimed to help.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Telling me not to shout while you are shouting is hypocrisy.
- The newspaper exposed the hypocrisy of the celebrity's 'simple life' image.
- The government's harsh stance on benefit fraud, amid its own expense scandals, reeked of hypocrisy.
- The novel is a searing indictment of the moral hypocrisy pervading Victorian society.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a HIPPO at a CRISIS meeting pretending to be a strict vegetarian.
Conceptual Metaphor
HYPOCRISY IS A MASK / A PERFORMANCE / A CONTRADICTION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'лицемерие' which is a direct equivalent. Be careful with 'hypocritical' vs 'лицемерный' – they align perfectly, so no trap.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'hypocracy'. Incorrectly using as a synonym for 'lie' (a lie is a single false statement; hypocrisy is a sustained pattern of pretense).
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario BEST exemplifies 'hypocrisy'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, yes. It involves a conscious or semi-conscious pretense. Unconscious contradictions are better described as 'inconsistency'.
Hypocrisy is a moral failing where one's actions belie one's stated values. Irony is a situational or rhetorical incongruity between what is expected and what occurs, not necessarily involving blame.
Yes, collective hypocrisy is a common concept, e.g., a country preaching human rights while committing abuses.
'Hypocritical'. The rarely used verb form is 'hypocrisize' or more commonly, the phrasal verb 'behave hypocritically'.
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