sceptic

sceptic
\ \ [16] The Greek verb sképtesthai meant ‘examine, consider’ (it was descended from a base *skep- which was related to *skop-, source of English scope, and may have been a reversed version of *spek-, from which English gets spectator, speculate, etc). From it was derived the adjective skeptikós, which was applied to various schools of philosophy (particularly that of Pyrrho of Elis) which stressed the need for careful examination of a proposition, starting from an attitude of doubt, before accepting it.
\ \ The word passed via Latin scepticus and French sceptique into English as sceptic, by which time it had acquired broader connotations of ‘initial doubt’.
\ \ Cf.⇒ SCOPE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • sceptic — SCÉPTIC, Ă, sceptici, ce, adj., s.m. şi f. 1. adj., s.m. şi f. (Persoană) care nu are încredere în nimic, care se îndoieşte de toate. 2. adj. Care aparţine scepticismului, privitor la scepticism. 3. s.m. şi f. Adept al scepticismului (1). – D …   Dicționar Român

  • sceptic — sceptic, sceptical A sceptic (pronounced skep tik) is someone who doubts accepted opinions or judgements and differs from a cynic, whose doubts concern human values and motives. Sceptic is also an adjective, but the more common adjectival form is …   Modern English usage

  • Sceptic — Scep tic, Sceptical Scep tic*al, Scepticism Scep ti*cism, etc. See {Skeptic}, {Skeptical}, {Skepticism}, etc. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sceptic — Die Band 2006 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • sceptic — (n.) British English spelling of SKEPTIC (Cf. skeptic) (q.v.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • sceptic — (US skeptic) ► NOUN 1) a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions. 2) a person who doubts the truth of Christianity and other religions; an atheist. DERIVATIVES scepticism noun. ORIGIN Greek skeptikos, from skepsis inquiry, doubt …   English terms dictionary

  • sceptic — [skep′tik] n., adj. chiefly Brit. sp. of SKEPTIC sceptical adj. scepticism n …   English World dictionary

  • sceptic — (BrE) (AmE skeptic) noun ADJECTIVE ▪ hardened VERB + SCEPTIC/SKEPTIC ▪ convince, win over ▪ He has managed to convince even the sceptics. ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • sceptic — Skeptic Skep tic, n. [Gr. skeptiko s thoughtful, reflective, fr. ske ptesqai to look carefully or about, to view, consider: cf. L. scepticus, F. sceptique. See {Scope}.] [Written also {sceptic}.] 1. One who is yet undecided as to what is true;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sceptic — [[t]ske̱ptɪk[/t]] sceptics N COUNT A sceptic is a person who has doubts about things that other people believe. He was a born sceptic... But he now has to convince sceptics that he has a serious plan. (in AM, use skeptic) …   English dictionary

  • sceptic — UK [ˈskeptɪk] / US noun [countable] Word forms sceptic : singular sceptic plural sceptics someone who has doubts about things that other people think are true or right …   English dictionary

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