skepticism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: skep=ti=cism

CIDE DICTIONARY

skepticism, n. [Cf. F. scepticisme.].

•  An undecided, inquiring state of mind; doubt; uncertainty.  [1913 Webster]

  "That momentary amazement, and irresolution, and confusion, which is the result of skepticism."  [1913 Webster]
•  The doctrine that no fact or principle can be certainly known; the tenet that all knowledge is uncertain; Pyrrohonism; universal doubt; the position that no fact or truth, however worthy of confidence, can be established on philosophical grounds; critical investigation or inquiry, as opposed to the positive assumption or assertion of certain principles.  [1913 Webster]
•  A doubting of the truth of revelation, or a denial of the divine origin of the Christian religion, or of the being, perfections, or truth of God.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let no . . . secret skepticism lead any one to doubt whether this blessed prospect will be realized."  [1913 Webster]

THESAURUS

skepticism

Humism, Pyrrhonism, agnosticism, apprehension, caution, cautiousness, concern, diffidence, disinclination to believe, distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, guardedness, half-belief, incertitude, inconvincibility, incredulity, leeriness, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, qualm, qualmishness, question, resistiveness to belief, scoffing, scruple, scrupulousness, self-doubt, shadow of doubt, skepticalness, suspicion, suspiciousness, total skepticism, tough-mindedness, uncertainty, unconvincibility, uncredulousness, unpersuadability, unpersuasibility, wariness, wonder

ROGET THESAURUS

skepticism

Irreligion

N irreligion, indevotion, godlessness, ungodliness, laxity, quietism, skepticism, doubt, unbelief, disbelief, incredulity, incredulousness, want of faith, want of belief, pyrrhonism, bout, agnosticism, atheism, deism, hylotheism, materialism, positivism, nihilism, infidelity, freethinking, antichristianity, rationalism, neology, atheist, skeptic, unbeliever, deist, infidel, pyrrhonist, giaour, heathen, alien, gentile, Nazarene, espri fort, freethinker, latitudinarian, rationalist, materialist, positivist, nihilist, agnostic, somatist, theophobist, irreligious, indevout, undevout, devoutless, godless, graceless, ungodly, unholy, unsanctified, unhallowed, atheistic, without God, skeptical, freethinking, unbelieving, unconverted, incredulous, faithless, lacking faith, deistical, unchristian, antichristian, worldly, mundane, earthly, carnal, worldly minded, irreligiously.

Doubt

N unbelief doubt, unbelief, disbelief, misbelief, discredit, miscreance, infidelity, dissent, change of opinion, retraction, doubt, skepticism, scepticism, misgiving, demure, distrust, mistrust, cynicism, misdoubt, suspicion, jealousy, scruple, qualm, onus probandi, incredibility, incredibleness, incredulity, doubter, skeptic, cynic, unbeliever, unbelieving, skeptical, sceptical, incredulous as to, skeptical as to, distrustful as to, shy as to, suspicious of, doubting, doubtful, disputable, unworthy of, undeserving of belief, questionable, suspect, suspicious, open to suspicion, open to doubt, staggering, hard to believe, incredible, unbelievable, not to be believed, inconceivable, impossible, fallible, undemonstrable, controvertible, cum grano salis, with a grain of salt, with grains of allowance, fronti nulla fides, nimium ne crede colori, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts, beware of Greeks bearing gifts, credat Judaeus Apella, let those believe who may, ad tristem partem stenua est suspicio.

Incredulity

N incredulousness, incredulity, skepticism, pyrrhonism, want of faith, suspiciousness, scrupulosity, suspicion, mistrust, cynicism, unbeliever, skeptic, cynic, misbeliever, pyrrhonist, heretic, incredulous, skeptical, unbelieving, inconvincible, hard of belief, shy of belief, disposed to doubt, indisposed to believe, suspicious, scrupulous, distrustful, cynical.