deception

[dih-sep-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of deceiving; the state of being deceived.

2. something that deceives or is intended to deceive; fraud; artifice.

   Synonyms: imposture, hoax, wile, ruse, stratagem, trick

deception

/ dɪˈsɛpʃən /

noun

1. the act of deceiving or the state of being deceived

2. something that deceives; trick

Other Word Forms

• nondeception noun
• predeception noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deception¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English decepcioun, from Old French, from Late Latin dēceptiōn-, stem of dēceptiō “deceitfulness,” from Latin dēcept(us) “deceived” (past participle of dēcipere; deceive ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Thirty years after the broadcast of the most infamous interview in BBC history, a new book looks at what led to Martin Bashir's deception of Diana, Princess of Wales and how the BBC reacted afterwards.

Read more on BBC

Provides enemy detection, deception, countermeasures and targeting all in one system.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Had he already learned of her deception about the cannibal book?

Read more on Literature

The partisan value of mathematical deception is manifest.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After the exam, an analyst scrutinizes the results and decides whether or not they indicate deception or are inconclusive.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• betrayal 
• deceit 
• disinformation 
• duplicity 
• falsehood 
• fraud 
• hypocrisy 
• lying 
• mendacity 
• treachery 
• trickery 
• untruth 

When To Use

What does deception mean?

Deception is the act or practice of deceiving—lying, misleading, or otherwise hiding or distorting the truth. The related word deceit often means the same thing.Deception doesn’t just involve lying. It can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. Anything that involves intentionally misleading someone is deception. People can even engage in self-deception by avoiding the truth.The word deception often implies a pattern of behavior, rather than a one-time act. The adjective deceptive can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive. A person who engages in deception can be described as deceitful.Less commonly, the word deception can refer to an action, scheme, or trick intended to deceive, as in It was a clever deception, but I didn’t fall for it. Example: I’m sick of your constant lying and deception—I can’t trust anything you say!