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
The reports were met with ridicule and frustration from Reddit users, many of whom branded Musk's attempt to suppress the conversation as hypocrisy, given Musk's previous commitment to free speech.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
But one of the most egregious is the dizzying hypocrisy shown by several members of the chat, including Hegseth, Rubio, and Waltz.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2025
Legal experts accused Trump of hypocrisy, noting that his own lawyers have violated Rule 11 of the federal rules of civil procedure, which bars lawyers from making false or frivolous claims in court, when falsely saying Trump won the 2020 election.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2025
With intentionally provocative lyrics, the song takes profane aim at the hypocrisy of anti-LGBTQ+ Christian conservatives, who refuse to respect trans people’s personhood all while applying gender individualism to an ostensibly formless, all-encompassing God.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocrisy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
But one of the most egregious is the dizzying hypocrisy shown by several members of the chat, including Hegseth, Rubio, and Waltz.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2025
Legal experts accused Trump of hypocrisy, noting that his own lawyers have violated Rule 11 of the federal rules of civil procedure, which bars lawyers from making false or frivolous claims in court, when falsely saying Trump won the 2020 election.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2025
With intentionally provocative lyrics, the song takes profane aim at the hypocrisy of anti-LGBTQ+ Christian conservatives, who refuse to respect trans people’s personhood all while applying gender individualism to an ostensibly formless, all-encompassing God.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 24 Mar. 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 13 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share