The word "skepticism" comes from the ancient Greek work skepsis, meaning "inquiry" or "to examine carefully".   It is derived from the verb sképtomai, which means "to consider" or "to view". Therefore, skepticism is etymologically linked to the act of careful examination and thoughtful inquiry, not necessarily a cynical rejection of ideas. 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun "scepticism" (or "skepticism") was first used in English in the mid 1600s, with the earliest evidence dated to 1644.  The term evolved to describe a philosophical tradition that doubted the possibility of certain knowledge and encouraged a stance of questioning and examination to achieve approximate or relative knowledge. This philosophical tradition influenced the development of the modern scientific method.   The word is a derivative of the existing adjective "skeptic" (first used in English in the 1550s) and the suffix "-ism," forming a noun that means the "entertaining of mistrust, doubt, or disbelief".  Other related terms emerged around the same time or slightly earlier, such as "skeptical" (1630s), "scepticalness" (1647) and "sceptically" (1647).  

Examples of "skepticism" used in a sentence: 
Come on, we all can do way better, despite my skepticism." 
"The skepticism extends to some of the 250,000 members of his own party." 
"There is also reason to think such skepticism may be misplaced." 
"He finds the source of skepticism in the theory of abstract ideas, which he criticizes." 
"these claims were treated with skepticism" 
"People less familiar with us looked at this with a healthy degree of skepticism." 
"Skepticism concerning Sadler's ability should be put to rest." 
"There is some skepticism, however, surrounding the prime minister's new-found "moral" leadership." 
"Many religions discourage skepticism or critical examination of cherished precepts."

Just the facts:

SKEPTICISM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

SKEPTICISM Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

5 hours ago, drpaladin said:

Skepticism, what all alleged news stories should be met with.

Skepticism: what every claim ever made should be met with. 
 

I only want to believe in anything for good reasons, it doesn’t matter what the claim is. If there is no evidence for the claim, feelings, personal experience, and comfort are not good reasons.