What does skeptic mean?
Definitions for skeptic
ˈskɛp tɪkskep·tic
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word skeptic.
Princeton's WordNet
skeptic, sceptic, doubternoun
someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs
Wiktionary
skepticnoun
Someone who habitually doubts beliefs and claims presented as accepted by others, requiring strong evidence before accepting any belief or claim.
skepticnoun
Someone undecided as to what is true.
skepticnoun
A type of agnostic
Wikipedia
skeptic
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the person doubts that these claims are accurate. In such cases, skeptics normally recommend not disbelief but suspension of belief, i.e. maintaining a neutral attitude that neither affirms nor denies the claim. This attitude is often motivated by the impression that the available evidence is insufficient to support the claim. Formally, skepticism is a topic of interest in philosophy, particularly epistemology. More informally, skepticism as an expression of questioning or doubt can be applied to any topic, such as politics, religion, or pseudoscience. It is often applied within restricted domains, such as morality (moral skepticism), atheism (skepticism about the existence of God), or the supernatural. Some theorists distinguish "good" or moderate skepticism, which seeks strong evidence before accepting a position, from "bad" or radical skepticism, which wants to suspend judgment indefinitely. Philosophical skepticism is one important form of skepticism. It rejects knowledge claims that seem certain from the perspective of common sense. Radical forms of philosophical skepticism deny that "knowledge or rational belief is possible and urge us to suspend judgment on many or all controversial matters." More moderate forms claim only that nothing can be known with certainty, or that we can know little or nothing about nonempirical matters, such as whether God exists, whether human beings have free will, or whether there is an afterlife. In ancient philosophy, skepticism was understood as a way of life associated with inner peace. Skepticism has been responsible for many important developments in science and philosophy. It has also inspired several contemporary social movements. Religious skepticism advocates for doubt concerning basic religious principles, such as immortality, providence, and revelation. Scientific skepticism advocates for testing beliefs for reliability, by subjecting them to systematic investigation using the scientific method, to discover empirical evidence for them.
ChatGPT
skeptic
A skeptic is a person who questions or doubts accepted opinions, claims, beliefs or elements of faith. They often require empirical evidence or proof to accept any claim as true and challenge assertions lacking in solid evidence. Skepticism is often associated with critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and the philosophy that certain knowledge is impossible.
Webster Dictionary
Skepticnoun
one who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons
Skepticnoun
a doubter as to whether any fact or truth can be certainly known; a universal doubter; a Pyrrhonist; hence, in modern usage, occasionally, a person who questions whether any truth or fact can be established on philosophical grounds; sometimes, a critical inquirer, in opposition to a dogmatist
Skepticnoun
a person who doubts the existence and perfections of God, or the truth of revelation; one who disbelieves the divine origin of the Christian religion
Skepticadjective
alt. of Skeptical
Wikidata
Skeptic
Skeptic is a quarterly science education and science advocacy magazine published internationally by The Skeptics Society, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. Founded by Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society, the magazine was first published in the spring of 1992 and is published through Millennium Press. Shermer remains the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine and the magazine’s Co-publisher and Art Director is Pat Linse. Other noteworthy members of its editorial board include Oxford University evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist Jared Diamond, magician and escape artist-turned educator James “The Amazing” Randi, and actor, comedian, and Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Sweeney. Skeptic has an international circulation with over 50,000 subscriptions and is on major newsstands in the U.S. and Canada as well as Europe, Australia, and other countries.
Suggested Resources
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Song lyrics by skeptic -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by skeptic on the Lyrics.com website.
Skeptic
Skeptic vs. Sceptic -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Skeptic and Sceptic.
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of skeptic in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of skeptic in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
Examples of skeptic in a Sentence
For the skeptic there remains only one consolation: if there should be such a thing as superhuman law it is administered with subhuman inefficiency.
The skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches, as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found.
You could be the biggest skeptic in the world, and you listen to him in a room for 30 minutes, and you're ready to hand him all your money, i had faith that he'd continue to be able to pull those rabbits out of his hat.
For the skeptic there remains only one consolation if there should be such a thing as superhuman law it is administered with subhuman inefficiency.
Peter James, Ghosts of the Queen Mary:
The true skeptic will never believe you no matter how much proof you offer him. The true believer does not need it.
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Translations for skeptic
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- escèpticCatalan, Valencian
- skeptikCzech
- Skeptiker, SkeptikerinGerman
- σκεπτικόςGreek
- escépticoSpanish
- skeptikEstonian
- شکاکPersian
- sceptiqueFrench
- neo-chreidmheachScottish Gaelic
- escépticoGalician
- ספקןHebrew
- szkeptikusHungarian
- skeptisIndonesian
- 회의론자Korean
- dubitabamLatin
- scepticusDutch
- sceptyczka, sceptykPolish
- céticoPortuguese
- скептикRussian
- skeptikerSwedish
- СкептикUkrainian
- 懷疑論者Chinese
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"skeptic." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/skeptic>.
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