Idiotry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Behavior or speech marked by extreme foolishness or a complete lack of sense or judgment
2. Actions or utterances that display remarkable stupidity or an absence of rational thought
3. Conduct or remarks so lacking in intelligence or reason as to be absurd or laughable

Etymology: "Idiotry" is simply "idiot" with the suffix "-ry" added, a combination that English has used for centuries to form nouns naming a kind of behaviour, condition, or collective quality. The "-ry" ending comes via Old French "-erie" and ultimately from Latin roots, so it attaches readily to words like "fool" or "jest" to produce "foolery" and "jesting" style nouns. "Idiot" itself came into English through Old French from Latin "idiota", meaning a private person or layman, someone without professional or specialist knowledge, which is itself borrowed from Greek "idiōtēs", a private individual. Over time that sense of being unskilled or uninformed hardened into the modern meaning of a foolish person, and "idiotry" carries that insult outward into conduct or behaviour rather than a single person.

Synonyms: idiocy, foolishness, stupidity

Antonyms: wisdom, intelligence