Dictionary

skeptical en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈskɛptɪkəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Hellenic *sképt͏̌omai Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek σκεπτικός (skeptikós)bor. Latin scepticus Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English skeptical From Latin scepticus + -al; attested earlier than skeptic. By surface analysis, skeptic + -al.

Meanings

1. (US) Having, or expressing doubt; questioning.
   • My teacher was skeptical when I told her my dog ate my homework.
   • I can see why people are so skeptical [sic] about him, but I think he's on to something here. 2009 September 12, Xolani1990, quotee, “Brown Lotto trick 'confuses' fans”, in BBC News, London: BBC, archived from the original on 14 Sep 2009:
   • Tom was skeptical when Paul told him that he saw Bigfoot.
   • Numerous experimental tests and other observations have been offered in favor of animal mind reading, and although many scientists are skeptical, others assert that humans are not the only species capable of representing what others do and don’t perceive and know. 2012 March–April, Colin Allen, “Do I See What You See?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2012, page 168:
2. (US) Of or relating to philosophical skepticism or the skeptics.

Forms

Deriveds

unskeptical · pseudoskeptical · skepticality · antiskeptical · skepticalness · Euroskeptical · technoskeptical · nonskeptical · Euro-skeptical · skeptically · overskeptical · skeptimistic

Translations (58)

fi skeptinen (related to skepticism) · gl escéptico (related to skepticism) · ca escèptic (having, or expressing doubt) · gl escéptico (having, or expressing doubt) · cmn 怀疑论的 (related to skepticism) · nl sceptisch (having, or expressing doubt) · hy կասկածամիտ (having, or expressing doubt) · bg скептичен (having, or expressing doubt) · eo nekredema (having, or expressing doubt) · nl sceptisch (related to skepticism) · pl sceptyczny (having, or expressing doubt) · nn skeptisk (having, or expressing doubt) · cs skeptický (having, or expressing doubt) · pt cético (related to skepticism) · nb skeptisk (having, or expressing doubt) · it scettico (having, or expressing doubt) · hu szkeptikus (related to skepticism) · uk скепти́чний (related to skepticism) · eo skeptika (related to skepticism) · hu kétkedő (having, or expressing doubt) · de skeptisch (having, or expressing doubt) · sv skeptisk (related to skepticism) · uk скепти́чний (having, or expressing doubt) · pt cético (having, or expressing doubt) · hy կասկածապաշտական (related to skepticism) · ru скепти́ческий (related to skepticism) · mi hokirua (having, or expressing doubt) · hy սկեպտիկ (having, or expressing doubt) · es escéptico (having, or expressing doubt) · is vantrúaður (having, or expressing doubt) · cs skeptický (related to skepticism) · nb skeptisk (related to skepticism) · pt céptico (having, or expressing doubt) · nn skeptisk (related to skepticism) · de skeptisch (related to skepticism) · ota اینانمز (having, or expressing doubt) · gd teagmhach (having, or expressing doubt) · ru скепти́ческий (having, or expressing doubt) · cmn 持有怀疑的 (having, or expressing doubt) · fr sceptique (having, or expressing doubt) · pt céptico (related to skepticism) · pl sceptyczny (related to skepticism) · tr kuşkucu (having, or expressing doubt) · da skeptisk (having, or expressing doubt) · ar شُكُوكِيّ (related to skepticism) · hy թերահավատ (having, or expressing doubt) · ga díchreidmheach (having, or expressing doubt) · fi skeptinen (having, or expressing doubt) · da skeptisk (related to skepticism) · hu kételkedő (having, or expressing doubt) · hy սկեպտիկական (related to skepticism) · ca escèptic (related to skepticism) · hu szkeptikus (having, or expressing doubt) · fr dubitatif (having, or expressing doubt) · sv skeptisk (having, or expressing doubt) · es escéptico (related to skepticism) · fr sceptique (related to skepticism) · tr septik (having, or expressing doubt)