skeptic
Meaning
a person who questions or doubts accepted opinions or claims.
a person who doubts the truth of a religion, especially Christianity.
Structure
Usage
He remains a skeptic about the new economic policy.
As a scientist, she is a natural skeptic who demands evidence.
The claims of a miracle were met with skepticism from the local skeptics.
Etymology
The word 'skeptic' has its philosophical roots in ancient Greece. It derives from the Greek 'skeptikos', meaning 'inquiring, reflective', which itself comes from 'skeptesthai' ('to examine'). The original Skeptics were a school of philosophers who advocated for systematic doubt and inquiry as a path to knowledge, rather than dogmatic belief. Over time, the term broadened from its specific philosophical context to describe anyone who maintains a questioning or doubting attitude towards accepted doctrines or claims, preserving the core idea of examination before acceptance.
Analysis
'skept' originates from the Greek verb 'skeptesthai', meaning 'to examine, consider'. The suffix '-ic' comes from the Latin '-icus' and Greek '-ikos', meaning 'pertaining to', and is used to form adjectives and nouns.