cynicism.

1. An attitude that doubts sincerity and expects self-interest behind conduct.

2. An ancient philosophy favoring virtue, self-sufficiency, and freedom from conventional desires.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• political cynicism
• weary cynicism

On the page

Her cynicism deepened after the hidden payments emerged.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: character, atmosphere, interpretation. Commonness: moderately common.