insincerity

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the quality of not expressing one's true feelings or intentions; lack of honesty or genuineness

   The audience quickly detected the insincerity of his extravagant praise.

Formed from the negative prefix in- + sincerity. Sincerity comes from sincere, through French from Latin sincerus, 'clean, pure, sound.' Insincerity therefore names a lack of genuineness, especially a mismatch between outward words or behavior and inward belief or intention.

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