noun
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the tendency to be untruthful
-
a falsehood
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mendacity
1640–50; < Late Latin mendācitās falsehood, equivalent to Latin mendāci- (stem of mendāx ) given to lying, false + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
Mendacity is a tendency to lie. Your friend might swear that he didn't eat your secret chocolate stash, but you'll find it hard to believe him if he's known for his mendacity. Anyone in the habit of lying frequently has the characteristic of mendacity. People often accuse government officials of mendacity, or being less than honest. You're bound to get frustrated by the mendacity of your friend who's a pathological liar. Mendacity comes from the Latin root word mendacium, or "lie." Don't confuse mendacity with a similar-sounding word, audacity — which means "fearlessness, daring, or bravery."
Vocabulary lists containing mendacity
A Web of Lies
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Pygmalion
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Word Warriors: Four Years of Words Worth Reviving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rank and file have followed their leaders down Mendacity Lane.
From Washington Post • Jun. 29, 2021
Mendacity is the life blood of Billions: power is the series's breath.
From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2017
Mendacity in commercial advertising can also carry a steep financial price.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Mendacity is at once the lowest and the commonest form of deceit," the judge indignantly announced.
From Flowing Gold by Beach, Rex Ellingwood
Mendacity is a thing so perfectly understood that no one is abashed by detection.
From The Land of The Blessed Virgin; Sketches and Impressions in Andalusia by Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
