different between incredulous vs skeptic

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin incr?dulus (“unbelieving”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?k??dj?l?s/
• IPA^(key): /??n.?kr?.d??.l?s/

Adjective

incredulous (comparative more incredulous, superlative most incredulous)

1. Skeptical, disbelieving, or unable to believe. [from 16th c.]
2. Expressing or indicative of incredulity. [from 17th c.]
   • 2009, Reuters (03-18-2009) , “Sun Micro Troops Fearful, Incredulous About IBM”, in Wired.com?^[1], archived from the original on 30 June 2013, retrieved 14 June 2009

     Reactions at Sun's campus, an hour's drive from San Francisco, ranged from the fearful to the incredulous.

3. (largely obsolete, now only nonstandard) Difficult to believe; incredible. [from 17th c.]
   • 1601, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, III.4:

     Why euery thing adheres togither, that no dramme of a scruple, no scruple of a scruple, no obstacle, no incredulous or vnsafe circumstance [...].

   • 1984, Supreme Court of Illinois, opinion in People v Terrell, 459 N.E.2d 1337,^[2] quoted in David C. Brody, James R. Acker, and Wayne A. Logan, Criminal Law,^[3] Jones & Bartlett Publishers (2001), ?ISBN, page 564,

     Faced with these facts, we find it incredulous that [the] defendant had any intent other than the armed robbery of the service station.

Derived terms

• incredulously

Related terms

• incredulity
• credulous

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• sceptic (British)

Etymology

From Latin *scepticus, (attested only in plural Sceptici (“the sect of Skeptics”)), from Ancient Greek ????????? (skeptikós, “thoughtful, inquiring”), from ????????? (sképtomai, “I consider”), compare to ?????? (skopé?, “I view, examine”). (Note: In French, C in front of E and I had shifted (or was shifting) from the original [k] sound of Latin to the [s] sound, which might explain the double spelling, as some might have wanted to make sure that [k] would remain [k] by bringing back the K from the Greek spelling.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sk?p.t?k/

Noun

skeptic (plural skeptics) (American spelling)

1. Someone who habitually doubts beliefs and claims presented as accepted by others, requiring strong evidence before accepting any belief or claim.
2. Someone undecided as to what is true.
3. A type of agnostic; someone skeptical towards religion.

Related terms

• skeptical
• skepticism

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “skeptic”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• skeptic in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• skeptic in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• skeptic at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• pickest, pickets, septick, spicket