sceptic

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scep·tic

(skĕp′tĭk)

Variant of skeptic.

scep′ti·cal adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sceptic

(ˈskɛptɪk) or

skeptic

1. (Philosophy) a person who habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs

2. a person who mistrusts people, ideas, etc, in general

3. (Philosophy) a person who doubts the truth of religion, esp Christianity

adj

(Philosophy) of or relating to sceptics; sceptical

[C16: from Latin scepticus, from Greek skeptikos one who reflects upon, from skeptesthai to consider]

ˈscepticism, ˈskepticism n

Sceptic

(ˈskɛptɪk) or

Skeptic

(Philosophy) a member of one of the ancient Greek schools of philosophy, esp that of Pyrrho, who believed that real knowledge of things is impossible

adj

of or relating to the Sceptics

ˈScepticism, ˈSkepticism n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

skep•tic

or scep•tic

(ˈskɛp tɪk)

n.

1. a person who questions the validity, authenticity, or truth of something purporting to be factual, esp. religion or religious tenets.

2. a person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, plans, or the character of others.

3. (cap.)

a. a member of a philosophical school of ancient Greece which maintained that real knowledge of things is impossible.

b. any later thinker who doubts or questions the possibility of real knowledge of any kind.

adj.

4. skeptical.

5. (cap.) pertaining to the Skeptics.

[1565–75; < Late Latin scepticus thoughtful, inquiring (in pl. Scepticī the Skeptics) < Greek skeptikós, derivative of -skept(os), v. adj. of sképtesthai to consider, examine]

sceptic

– sceptical

1. 'sceptic'

Sceptic is a noun. A sceptic is someone who has doubts about things that other people believe.

The sceptic may argue that there are no grounds for such optimism.

He will need to polish his arguments if he is to convince the sceptics.

2. 'sceptical'

Sceptical is an adjective. If you are sceptical about something, you have doubts about it.

Robert's father was sceptical about hypnotism.

At first Meyer had been sceptical.

The usual American spellings of 'sceptic' and 'sceptical' are skeptic and skeptical.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

sceptic - someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs

doubter, skeptic

intellectual, intellect - a person who uses the mind creatively

doubting Thomas - someone who demands physical evidence in order to be convinced (especially when this demand is out of place)

pessimist - a person who expects the worst

sceptic

noun

1. doubter, cynic, scoffer, questioner, disbeliever, Pyrrhonist He was a born sceptic.

2. agnostic, doubter, unbeliever, doubting Thomas a lifelong religious sceptic

Quotations
"I am too much of a sceptic to deny the possibility of anything" [T.H. Huxley]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

skeptic

also sceptic
noun

One who habitually or instinctively doubts or questions:

doubter, doubting Thomas, nonbeliever, unbeliever.

Translations

مُتَشَكِّك

skeptik

skeptiker

Skeptiker skeptisch

sceptique

kételkedõ

efasemdarmaîur

scettico

skepticizmasskeptikasskeptiškai

skeptiķis

skeptiker

sceptyczkasceptyk

скептик

skeptik

kuşkucu kişi

怀疑论者

sceptic

skeptic (US) [ˈskeptɪk] N → escéptico/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sceptic

[ˈskɛptɪk] (British) skeptic (US) n → sceptique mf

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

sceptic

, (US) skeptic

n → Skeptiker(in) m(f)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sceptic

skeptic (Am) [ˈskɛptɪk] n → scettico/a

sceptic

(American also skeptic) (ˈskeptik) noun

a person who is unwilling to believe. Most people now accept this theory, but there are a few sceptics.

ˈsceptical adjective

(often with about) unwilling to believe. They say apples clean your teeth, but I'm sceptical about that myself.

ˈsceptically adverb

ˈscepticism (ˈ-sizəm) noun

a doubting or questioning attitude. I regard his theories with scepticism.

References in classic literature ?

"You're a dreadful sceptic, prince," he continued, after a moment's silence.

View in context

Some lesser points of the dialogue may be noted, such as (1) the acute observation that Meno prefers the familiar definition, which is embellished with poetical language, to the better and truer one; or (2) the shrewd reflection, which may admit of an application to modern as well as to ancient teachers, that the Sophists having made large fortunes; this must surely be a criterion of their powers of teaching, for that no man could get a living by shoemaking who was not a good shoemaker; or (3) the remark conveyed, almost in a word, that the verbal sceptic is saved the labour of thought and enquiry (ouden dei to toiouto zeteseos).

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Being no sceptic, but a moral creature, he was in a manner at the mercy of his righteous passions.

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Socrates is nowhere represented to us as a freethinker or sceptic. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity when he speculates on the possibility of seeing and knowing the heroes of the Trojan war in another world.

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To satisfy himself that this spot was really the centre of the earth, a sceptic once paid well for the privilege of ascending to the dome of the church to see if the sun gave him a shadow at noon.

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Later in life he became a philosophic sceptic. In Lausanne he fell in love with the girl who later actually married M.

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Nevertheless, whatever a sceptic might urge in theory, we cannot practically doubt that we got up this morning, that we did various things yesterday, that a great war has been taking place, and so on.

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Not that in this I imitated the sceptics who doubt only that they may doubt, and seek nothing beyond uncertainty itself; for, on the contrary, my design was singly to find ground of assurance, and cast aside the loose earth and sand, that I might reach the rock or the clay.

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As the liquor diffused a pleasant perfume, the old people doubted not that it possessed cordial and comfortable properties; and though utter sceptics as to its rejuvenescent power, they were inclined to swallow it at once.

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This conclusive observation appeared to dissipate all the doubts of Gringoire and the other sceptics in the audience.

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Oh, sceptics and halfpenny philosophers, why do you halt half-way!"

View in context

Previous to the opening of the season sceptics had shaken their heads over the Wednesday's chances in the First League.