noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/hɪˈpɒkɹəsi/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/hɪˈpɑkɹəsi/
CMU ARPABET:HH IH0 P AA1 K R AH0 S IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The contrivance of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, while concealing real character or inclinations, especially with respect to religious and moral beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretence, sham.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
political hypocrisy
He condemned the hypocrisy of politicians who broke their own laws.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The claim or pretense of having beliefs, standards, qualities, behaviours, virtues, motivations, etc. which one does not really have.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
rank hypocrisy
charge of hypocrisy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The practice of engaging in the same behaviour or activity for which one criticises another; moral self-contradiction whereby the behavior of one or more people belies their own claimed or implied possession of certain beliefs, standards or virtues.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An instance of hypocrisy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From hypo- + Ancient Greek κρί(σις) (krí(sis)) + -isy. From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupókrisis, “answer, stage acting, pretense”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “I answer (a fellow actor on stage), play a part, dissemble, feign”), from ὑπό (hupó, “under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix”) + the middle voice of κρίνω (krínō, “I separate, judge, decide”) + -isy. Displaced native Old English līċettung.
Across languages
Translations
114 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
skynheiligheid
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Aghwan:
𐕌𐔰𐕙𐕕𐔴𐕀𐔶
(marʒexē)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Albanian:
shtirësi
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Albanian:
hipokrizi
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Arabic:
رِيَاء
(riyāʔ)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Arabic:
نِفَاق
(nifāq)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Armenian:
երեսպաշտություն
(erespaštutʻyun)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Azerbaijani:
ikiüzlülük
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Azerbaijani:
riyakarlıq
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Azerbaijani:
riya
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Belarusian:
крываду́шнасць
(kryvadúšnascʹ)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Bulgarian:
лицемерие
(licemerie)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Bulgarian:
двуличие
(dvuličie)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Catalan:
hipocresia
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Chinese Mandarin:
虛偽 /虚伪
(xūwěi)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Chinese Mandarin:
假惺惺
(jiǎxīngxīng)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Chinese Mandarin:
偽善 /伪善
(wěishàn)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Cornish:
fayntys
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Czech:
pokrytectví
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Czech:
přetvářka
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Czech:
licoměrnost
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Danish:
hykleri
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Dutch:
hypocrisie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Dutch:
huichelarij
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Dutch:
schijnheiligheid
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Esperanto:
hipokriteco
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Esperanto:
hipokritaĵo
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Esperanto:
hipokrito
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Finnish:
tekopyhyys
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Finnish:
ulkokultaisuus
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
French:
hypocrisie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
French:
faux-culterie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
French:
tartuferie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
French:
tartufferie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Galician:
hipocrisía
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Georgian:
პირმოთნეობა
(ṗirmotneoba)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Georgian:
თვალთმაქცობა
(tvaltmakcoba)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Georgian:
ორპირობა
(orṗiroba)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Georgian:
ფარისევლობა
(parisevloba)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
German:
Heuchelei
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
German:
Scheinheiligkeit
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
German:
Hypokrisie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
German:
Tartüfferie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Greek:
υποκρισία
(ypokrisía)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Hebrew:
צביעות \ צְבִיעוּת
(tsviút)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Hindi:
ढोंग
(ḍhoṅg)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Hindi:
पाखंड
(pākhaṇḍ)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Hungarian:
álszentség
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Hungarian:
képmutatás
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Icelandic:
hræsni
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Icelandic:
yfirdrepsskapur
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Icelandic:
uppgerð
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Indonesian:
kemunafikan
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Irish:
fimínteacht
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Irish:
bréagchrábhadh
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Italian:
ipocrisia
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Japanese:
偽善
(gizen)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Kazakh:
екіжүзділік
(ekıjüzdılık)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Korean:
위선
(wiseon)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Central Kurdish:
دووڕوویی
(dûrrûyî)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Northern Kurdish:
durûtî
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Kyrgyz:
эки жүздүүлүк
(eki jüzdüülük)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Macedonian:
лицемерие
(licemerie)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Manx:
craueeaght-oalsey
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Bokmål:
hykleri
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Bokmål:
hykling
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Bokmål:
skinnhellighet
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Nynorsk:
hykleri
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Nynorsk:
hykling
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Norwegian Nynorsk:
hyklarskap
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Occitan:
ipocrisia
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Old East Slavic:
лицемѣриѥ
(liceměrije)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Old English:
līċettung
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Persian:
دورویی
(doruyi)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Persian:
ریاکاری
(riyākārī)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Persian:
ریا
(riyā)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Polish:
hipokryzja
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Portuguese:
hipocrisia
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Romanian:
ipocrizie
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Russian:
лицеме́рие
(licemérije)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Russian:
двули́чие
(dvulíčije)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Scottish Gaelic:
fuar-chràbhadh
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Scottish Gaelic:
breug-chràbhadh
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Scottish Gaelic:
hiopocrasaidh
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
licemerje
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
licemjerje
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
licemerstvo
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
licemjerstvo
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
dvoličnost
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
dvoličje
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
himba
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Serbo-Croatian:
hipokrizija
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Slovak:
pokrytectvo
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Slovak:
pretvárka
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Slovene:
dvoličnost
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Slovene:
licemerstvo
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Slovene:
licemerje
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Spanish:
hipocresía
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Swedish:
hyckleri
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Tagalog:
patumapat
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Tagalog:
katalipandasan
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Tajik:
риёкорона
(riyokorona)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Turkish:
ikiyüzlülük
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Ukrainian:
лицемі́рство
(lycemírstvo)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Ukrainian:
дволи́чність
(dvolýčnistʹ)
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Uzbek:
ikkiyuzlamachilik
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Vietnamese:
đạo đức giả
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Vietnamese:
giả hình
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Welsh:
rhagrith
— claim, pretense, or false representation of holding beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not actually possess
Galician:
dobre moral
— applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
German:
Doppelmoral
— applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
Hungarian:
képmutatás
— applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
Russian:
ха́нжество
(xánžestvo)
— applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
Swedish:
dubbelmoral
— applying criticism to others that one does not apply equally to oneself
