Skepticism

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Skepticism \Skep"ti*cism\, n. [Cf. F. scepticisme.] [Written
     also {scepticism}.]
     1. An undecided, inquiring state of mind; doubt; uncertainty.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              That momentary amazement, and irresolution, and


              confusion, which is the result of skepticism.
                                                    --Hune.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Metaph.) The doctrine that no fact or principle can be
        certainly known; the tenet that all knowledge is
        uncertain; Pyrrohonism; universal doubt; the position that
        no fact or truth, however worthy of confidence, can be
        established on philosophical grounds; critical
        investigation or inquiry, as opposed to the positive
        assumption or assertion of certain principles.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Theol.) A doubting of the truth of revelation, or a
        denial of the divine origin of the Christian religion, or
        of the being, perfections, or truth of God.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Let no . . . secret skepticism lead any one to doubt
              whether this blessed prospect will be realized. --S.
                                                    Miller.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  skepticism
       n 1: doubt about the truth of something [syn: {incredulity}, {disbelief},
             {mental rejection}]
       2: the disbelief in any claims of ultimate knowledge [syn: {agnosticism},
           {scepticism}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  46 Moby Thesaurus words for "skepticism":
     Humism, Pyrrhonism, agnosticism, apprehension, caution,
     cautiousness, concern, diffidence, disinclination to believe,
     distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety,
     dubiousness, guardedness, half-belief, incertitude,
     inconvincibility, incredulity, leeriness, misdoubt, misgiving,
     mistrust, mistrustfulness, qualm, qualmishness, question,
     resistiveness to belief, scoffing, scruple, scrupulousness,
     self-doubt, shadow of doubt, skepticalness, suspicion,
     suspiciousness, total skepticism, tough-mindedness, uncertainty,
     unconvincibility, uncredulousness, unpersuadability,
     unpersuasibility, wariness, wonder