noun
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the act of deceiving or the state of being deceived
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something that deceives; trick
Usage
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!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deception
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; see deceive) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Deception is a trick or scheme used to get what you want, like the deception you used to get your sister to agree to do all your chores for a month. Deception occurs when you deceive, a word that comes from the Latin de- meaning "from" and capere, meaning "to take." When you deceive someone, the result may be taking — like items you don't really need from people willing to give them, believing they are helping you. You may have heard the phrase "take someone for a ride." That's a way of describing deception.
Vocabulary lists containing deception
A Web of Lies
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Smoke and Mirrors: The Lingo of Illusion and Deception
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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.
See Examples For:
Those recordings offer rare access into the inner workings of a fraud and the psychological tactics of a master of deception.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
How a master of deception conned investors out of $50 million — in his own words.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
What follows is a tale of tension, deception and a forbidden love that sours, reminiscent of Brontë novels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
The Agency's stars say its appeal lies not in explosions or gadgets, but in the exploration of the moral compromises that come with a life built on deception.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
The KGB deliberately played up his re-defection, hoping to sow confusion inside the CIA and FBI over whether he had been telling them the truth—or whether the whole episode was a carefully orchestrated KGB deception.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
As “Love Island” alumnus Rob Rausch frequently reminded us and himself, whatever deceptions he committed were all part of playing a game.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Pandaram, meanwhile, is an uxorious family man struggling to marry off a spoiled daughter, and the story turns on the scams and deceptions he faces in arranging her future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Mild lies of omission are forgivable, while "sticky" mid-range deceptions can often be resolved with support and kindness.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026
She also pointed out that, in addition to the DOJ lawyers’ deceptions, at least six witnesses for the government in this case were “unprepared or defiant in their refusal to answer questions,” including ICE officials.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2025
After that her other deceptions were harder to pull off.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
