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Bookmark or Share- What is the difference between "skeptical" and "cynical"?As an example, in the sentence “John is skeptical about the motorway extension”, you could replace skeptical with cynical without altering the meaning. In the sentence “John is skeptical about global warming”, you could not do this change. Likewise, in “John has a cynical attitude”, you could not use skeptical instead.
- meaning - "Suspect" versus "Suspicious" as Adjectives - English ...Animate entities are often described as suspicious, but not really as suspect, to express that they have a skeptical, suspecting attitude. One could say that suspicious is more psychological or mental than suspect. Consider again the suspicious list: MAN, PERSON "A suspicious man/person" can mean that the person is suspicious/skeptical about ...
- Why did "sceptical" become "skeptical" in the US?The earliest occurrence of sceptical (or skeptical) that I've been able to find in an English dictionary is in Edward Phillips, The New World of English Words, or a Generall Dictionary (1658): Sceptical , (Greek) contemplative, whence Scepticks are a sort of Philosophers who onely consider and contemplate of things without determining any thing.
- What is the right preposition after "skeptical"?You pose two different uses of the word and thought. In the one case a speaker is skeptical "of" a "truth" and in the later he is "posing" (in) skepticism as a position. One who is skeptical of a "truth" is in fact doubtful of its authenticity. One who poses as a skeptic writes regarding his belief in the inaccuracy of the given "truth."
- expressions - The phrase - "I remain sceptical" vs "I continue to ..."I am skeptical" refers only to the present time and carries no implied information about my skepticism in the past, or any events that might have changed it. "continue to remain skeptical" is a bit of a tautology. "Continue to be skeptical" and "remain skeptical" mean the same thing. However "continue to remain" is fairly common usage.
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