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Definition of cynicism noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cynicism

noun
 
/ˈsɪnɪsɪzəm/
 
/ˈsɪnɪsɪzəm/
[uncountable]
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  1. the belief that people only do things to help themselves, rather than for good or sincere reasons
    • popular cynicism about politicians
    • Such behaviour helps breed cynicism among the electorate.
  2. the belief that something good will not happen or that something is not important
    • The response was one of weary cynicism.
  3. the fact of being willing to do something that might hurt other people, if you can gain some advantage
    • their cynicism in exploiting his death
trait
noun
 
 
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