» For the death metal band, see Hypocrisy (band). Hypocrisy (or the state of being a hypocrite) is the act of preaching a certain belief or way of life, but not, in fact, holding these same virtues oneself. (Example: A teacher telling students they shouldn't plagiarize, while secretly being a plagiarist himself.) Hypocrisy is frequently invoked as an accusation in debates, in politics, and in life in general. For linguist and social analyst Noam Chomsky, hypocrisy, defined as the refusal to ".… (More on Hypocritical)