Cynic

See also: cynic and cynić

English

Etymology

First used in English around 1540–50. From Latin Cynicus (cynic philosopher), from Ancient Greek Κυνικός (Kunikós, from κύων (kúōn, “dog”, see Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ) +‎ -ικός (-ikós), literally “doglike, currish”). The word may have first been applied to Cynics because of the nickname κύων (kúōn, “dog”) given to Diogenes of Sinope, the prototypical Cynic.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪnɪk

Noun

Cynic (plural Cynics)

1. A member of a sect of Ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.

Translations

philosopher

• Arabic: كَلْبِيّ m (kalbiyy)
• Esperanto: ciniko (eo)
• French: cynique (fr) m or f
• German: Kyniker (de) m, Kynikerin (de) f
• Greek: Κυνικός (el) m (Kynikós)

  Ancient: Κυνικός m (Kunikós)

• Latin: Cynicus m

Adjective

Cynic (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the Cynics.

Translations

relating to the Cynics

• Arabic: كَلْبِيّ (kalbiyy)
• German: kynisch (de)
• Greek: κυνικός (el) m (kynikós)
• Ido: Ciniko
• Japanese: 犬儒 (kenju)
• Korean: 견유(犬儒) (ko) (gyeonyu)
• Latin: Cynicus

References

• “Cynic”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.

Anagrams

• Cincy