hy·poc·ri·sy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (h-pkr-s) n. pl. hy·poc·ri·sies The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. An act or instance of such falseness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, play-acting, pretense, from Greek hupokrisis, from hupokrnesthai, to play a part, pretend : hupo-, hypo- + krnesthai, to explain, middle voice of krnein, to decide, judge; see krei- in Indo-European Roots.]