sceptic
gb/skˈɛptɪk/ us/skˈɛptɪk/
B2
English
~ 8900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person who tends to doubt claims
A person who does not easily believe what other people say and wants strong proof before accepting it as true.
Usage pattern:
a sceptic about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sceptic' with 'cynic'. A 'sceptic' mainly wants good evidence before believing something, while a 'cynic' often has a negative view of people and their motives. Another common issue is spelling: British English uses 'sceptic', while American English uses 'skeptic'. Prepositions can also cause trouble: you are usually 'a sceptic about something' or 'a sceptic of something', not 'a sceptic for something'.
Synonyms
doubter (Neutral and general, focuses simply on not being convinced; slightly less about active questioning than 'sceptic'.)
|
disbeliever (Stronger refusal to accept a claim; sounds more fixed and less open to changing their mind than a 'sceptic'.)
|
cynic (Often suggests a negative, world-weary attitude and a belief that people are selfish, not just that claims need evidence.)
Antonyms
believer (Someone who accepts a claim, idea, or religion, often with trust or faith rather than demanding strong proof.)
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supporter (Someone who backs or agrees with a particular idea, policy, or person, rather than doubting it like a sceptic.)
Collocations
natural sceptic
|born sceptic
|religious sceptic
|climate sceptic
|political sceptic
|remain a sceptic
Themes
thinking
|science
|religion
|politics
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- As a natural sceptic, she always checks several sources before trusting any news story.
- Many health sceptics questioned the safety of the new medicine until long-term studies were published.
- He used to be a climate sceptic, but the recent heatwaves changed his mind.
- Religious sceptics in the group asked difficult questions about faith and evidence.
Learner examples
- I am a bit of a sceptic, so I do not believe things very quickly.
- She is a climate sceptic and often argues about global warming.
- Some people are religious sceptics and do not accept any holy books.
- My brother is a sceptic about social media stories.
- The teacher told the students that being a sceptic can help them think carefully.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
follower of philosophical scepticism
In philosophy, a person who argues that people cannot be completely sure about what they know.
Usage pattern:
a sceptic in [philosophical tradition]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realise that this philosophical sense is more narrow and technical than the everyday sense. In general English, a 'sceptic' might just doubt one topic (like climate change), but in philosophy, a 'sceptic' questions whether any secure knowledge is possible at all.
Synonyms
philosophical skeptic (Explicitly marks this as the technical, philosophical use, not just an everyday doubter.)
Antonyms
dogmatist (In philosophy, a dogmatist is seen as someone who confidently asserts knowledge claims that the sceptic thinks cannot be justified.)
Collocations
ancient sceptics
|Greek sceptics
|Pyrrhonian sceptics
|radical sceptics
Themes
philosophy
|academia
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- For the ancient sceptic, suspending judgement was the only honest response to conflicting appearances.
- The lecture compared Descartes to more radical sceptics who doubted even the existence of the external world.
- As a modern sceptic, she argues that we can never escape our own viewpoint enough to claim absolute truth.
Learner examples
- In that class, we read about a Greek sceptic who said we cannot be sure of anything.
- Some philosophers are sceptics and question if real knowledge is possible.
- The teacher explained that a sceptic in philosophy does more than just doubt one idea.
- A radical sceptic may even doubt the world outside their mind.
- He wrote his essay about ancient sceptics and their ideas.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sceptic
IPA
GB/skˈɛptɪk/
US/skˈɛptɪk/
Syllables & stress
scep - tic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (scep)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sceptic
- Plural: sceptics
Word family
Forms
sceptics
noun
Core family
sceptical
adjective B2
scepticism
noun B2
Related words
sceptically
adverb
skeptic
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.