cynicism — 1670s, philosophy of the Cynics, from CYNIC (Cf. cynic) + ISM (Cf. ism). Meaning cynical character is from 1847. For nuances of usage of cynicism, see HUMOR (Cf. humor) … Etymology dictionary
Cynicism — Cyn i*cism (s[i^]n [i^]*s[i^]z m), n. The doctrine of the Cynics; the quality of being cynical; the mental state, opinions, or conduct, of a cynic; morose and contemptuous views and opinions. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
cynicism — index irony, pessimism, suspicion (mistrust) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
cynicism — [sin′ə siz΄əm] n. 1. [C ] the philosophy of the Cynics 2. the attitudes or beliefs of a cynical person 3. a cynical remark, idea, or action … English World dictionary
Cynicism — Cynic redirects here. For the modern understanding of the word cynicism , see Cynicism (contemporary). For other uses, see Cynic (disambiguation). Statue of an unknown Cynic philosopher from the Capitoline Museum in Rome. This statue is a Roman… … Wikipedia
cynicism — [[t]sɪ̱nɪsɪzəm[/t]] 1) N UNCOUNT Cynicism is the belief that people always act selfishly. I found Ben s cynicism wearing at times. Ant: idealism 2) N UNCOUNT Cynicism about something is the belief that it cannot be successful or that the people… … English dictionary
cynicism — noun /ˈsɪn.ɪˌsɪzəm/ a) a distrustful attitude David T Wolf: Idealism is what precedes experience; cynicism is what follows. b) an emotion of jaded negativity, or a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of other people. Cynicism… … Wiktionary
CYNICISM — a school of Greek PHILOSOPHY dating to the fifth century B.C. which taught living a simple life and rigorous self control. Because of their ridicule of social mores and personal follies, cynicism became associated with a negative attitude of… … Concise dictionary of Religion
cynicism — noun theirs was a childhood of absent parents and broken promises, so cynicism was hardly a surprise Syn: skepticism, doubt, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, disbelief; pessimism, negativity, world weariness, disenchantment Ant: idealism … Thesaurus of popular words
cynicism — cynic ► NOUN 1) a person who has little faith in the integrity or sincerity of others. 2) a sceptic. 3) (Cynic) (in ancient Greece) a member of a school of philosophers founded by Antisthenes, characterized by an ostentatious contempt for wealth… … English terms dictionary
