dishonesty

[dis-on-uh-stee]

noun

plural

dishonesties 

1. lack of honesty; a disposition to lie, cheat, or steal.

2. a dishonest act; fraud.

dishonesty

/ dɪsˈɒnɪstɪ /

noun

1. lack of honesty or fairness; deceit

2. a deceiving act or statement; fraud

Word History and Origins

Origin of dishonesty¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, dishonesty is from the Middle English word deshonestee. See dis- ¹, honesty

Example Sentences

Much as they regretted the dishonesty, they felt they had no choice.

Read more on Literature

“I am quite sure if Queen Victoria knew of this man’s dishonesty, her majesty would be very unhappy indeed.”

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Detecting dishonesty requires people to interpret social cues, judge intent, and decide whether someone's words are trustworthy.

Read more on Science Daily

Annabelle also posts pictures of her adding up the takings, to test the honesty or dishonesty of customers.

Read more on BBC

Maybe the useful thing now is to dissect the collective dishonesty of the climate crowd.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• chicanery 
• corruption 
• criminality 
• deceit 
• duplicity 
• falsehood 
• fraud 
• graft 
• infidelity 
• mendacity 
• treachery 
• trickery 

When To Use

What does dishonesty mean?

Dishonesty is the opposite of honesty—it’s the act or practice of being intentionally deceptive or not fully truthful in some way.When a person is accused of dishonesty, it usually means they are frequently or habitually untruthful—that they tend to lie often or that they often hide or leave out part of the truth.Dishonesty involves being intentionally deceptive—deceiving people or misleading them through lies, the omission of all or parts of the truth, or the twisting of the truth.The adjective dishonest is used to describe someone or something as intentionally deceptive or not fully truthful in some way.Example: The level of your dishonesty is astounding—I can’t believe a word you say.