Word of the day · 1 June 2026
cognitive dissonance
/ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv ˈdɪsənəns/
noun
The mental discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs, values or facts at the same time, or of acting against what you believe.
In a sentence
- He felt cognitive dissonance praising thrift while booking another luxury trip.
- Smokers often describe cognitive dissonance between health knowledge and the next cigarette.
- The jury’s notes showed cognitive dissonance between the alibi and the timeline.
In an image
Origin
Coined in social psychology by Leon Festinger in the 1950s: cognitive (related to thinking) plus dissonance (clash, lack of harmony).
History
Festinger’s theory said people reduce that clash by changing a belief, changing a behavior or explaining the conflict away. The phrase left the lab and entered essays, politics and self-help as a name for that uneasy double binding. It is stronger than simple doubt: both sides feel live. Searchers want a label for the tension they can feel but not yet name.
Nearby words
conflict · incongruity · tension
The itch in the mind when two truths refuse to sit together.