Hypocrisy
Etymology
From Greek "hypokrisis" (the playing of a part on stage, acting), from "hypokrites" (a stage actor, literally "one who answers"). The word migrated from the honest pretense of theater to the dishonest pretense of moral life.
noun · /hi-POK-ruh-see/
Professing beliefs, standards, or virtues one does not actually hold or practice.
What it names
The gap between the mask and the face — condemning in others what one excuses in oneself.
Example
The senator’s speech on austerity was pure hypocrisy, delivered from a taxpayer-funded private jet.
Related idea
A hypocrite fails to practice what they preach; a mere liar misstates facts. Hypocrisy is specifically the distance between one’s stated values and one’s conduct.
See also