Hypocrisy Definition

Origin of Hypocrisy

• From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupokrisis, “answer, stage acting, pretense”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrinomai, “I reply”), from ὑπό (hupo, “under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix”) + the middle voice of κρίνω (krinō, “I separate, judge, decide”).

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English ipocrisie from Old French from Late Latin hypocrisis play-acting, pretense from Greek hupokrisis from hupokrīnesthai to play a part, pretend hupo- hypo- krīnesthai to explain middle voice of krīnein to decide, judge krei- in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition