Sceptic and septic are two words that are close in spelling and pronunciation and may be considered confusables. Confusables are often used in wordplay like puns. We will examine the different meanings of the confusables sceptic and septic, the word origins of the terms, and some examples of their English usage in sentences.
A sceptic is someone who questions accepted beliefs or mistrusts certain ideas, dogma, or people. Related words are scepticism and sceptical. Sceptic is the British spelling of the word; the American spelling is skeptic. The word sceptic is derived from the Greek word, skeptikos, which means inquiring. Skepticism was a philosophy in Ancient Greece led by the founder, Pyrrho; its main tenet was that it is impossible to find true knowledge.
Septic is an adjective that describes a state of infection, or sepsis. Septic may refer to a wound or an entire human or animal. Septic is also an American term for a sewer drainage system. The word septic is derived from the Greek word, septikos, which means putrified.
Examples
Irish-American Cardinal Raymond Burke (73), a Covid-19 vaccine sceptic, has been placed on a ventilator after testing positive for the virus last week. (Irish Times)
It’s a spectacle that began many centuries ago in Greece, and its modern equivalent has once again captivated tens of millions – even some of those who might initially have been sceptical. (Sydney Morning Herald)
One hundred and forty-three cases of septic peritonitis, 26 cases of septic soft tissue infection, 20 cases of pyometra, and 15 cases of pyothorax were evaluated. (Physician’s Weekly)
In patients with septic shock, treatment with intravenous vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamine does not lead to more rapid resolution compared with intravenous hydrocortisone alone, according to the results of a multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial (VITAMINS; ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier:NCT03333278) published in JAMA. (Pulmonology Advisor)
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