The word "hypocritical" comes from the Greek word "hypokritēs" which means "actor" or "dissembler." It was first used in English in the late 16th century to describe someone who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc. that they do not actually possess. It is derived from the prefix "hypo-" meaning "under" or "beneath" and "kritēs" which means "judge" or "interpreter" The adjective "hypocritical" is used to describe someone who claims to have certain beliefs or principles but behaves in a way that contradicts those claims. It is often used to describe people who say one thing but do another, or who pretend to be something they are not, particularly in the context of religious or moral beliefs. It is used to describe behavior that is insincere, marked by the pretending to be what one is not, or by affecting virtues, principles, etc., that one does not possess.