deception

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!

The first records of the word deception come from the 1400s. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb dēcipere, meaning “to ensnare” (in the literal sense of trapping someone or an animal).

Forms of deception include attempts to mislead or trick someone or trap them with a deceptive scheme. Deception always involves deceiving someone, but it may not involve outright lying. Some forms of deception involve concealing the truth or simply omitting the truth. Just because you didn’t lie doesn’t mean you didn’t engage in deception.

What are some synonyms for deception?

• deceit
• deceptiveness
• duplicity
• dishonesty
• ruse
• trick

What are some words that share a root or word element with deception? 

• deceptive
• deceive
• deceivable
• deceitful

What are some words that often get used in discussing deception?

• lie
• mislead
• liar
• trick
• distort
• omit
• truth
• web
• corruption

Deception and deceit are often used to mean the same thing, but deception is perhaps more commonly used because it’s slightly less formal. Both words can be used in all kinds of contexts, though of course they are common in political discussion.

Many interesting things to draw from this reporting, but one simple one is a reminder that as problematic as #deepfakes can be, deception campaigns rarely rely on sophisticated tech — classic tactics like this work just fine. We all have a part to play in tackling influence ops. https://t.co/LP9zhyHP47

— Nathaniel Gleicher (@ngleicher) August 10, 2020

Even the most sophisticated #AI systems lack a theory of mind needed to engage in deception. However, now's the time to start thinking about how future AIs could deceive us. https://t.co/MALs6SCQCb

— Ben Lamm (@federallamm) March 2, 2020

There are two types of investors: Those who are honest about how social proof affects decision-making, and those who engage in deception / self-deception to imply they're uninfluenced by the POV of other smart investors

"I really don't care if Sequoia is leading the round…" 🤔

— Ben Casnocha (@bencasnocha) October 5, 2019

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of deception?

A. duplicity
B. deceit
C. description
D. dishonesty