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

The Traitors, at its heart, is a game of lying and deception.

Read more on BBC

As part of the deception campaign, it worked fabulously.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Norwalk resident Andrew Garcia filed a claim Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court that states that James owes him $865.66 because of “fraud, deception, misrepresentation, and any and all basis of legal recovery.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Goodall, in removing the barriers, raised primatology to new heights, opening the way for research on subjects ranging from political coalitions among baboons to the use of deception by an array of primates.

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Going undercover involves deception and intrusion as tools of public interest journalism, and to justify this there needs to be sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

Read more on BBC

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!