disingenuous

[dis-in-jen-yoo-uhs]

adjective

1. lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere.

   Her excuse was rather disingenuous.

disingenuous

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒɛnjʊəs /

adjective

1. not sincere; lacking candour

Other Word Forms

• disingenuously adverb
• disingenuousness noun
• nondisingenuous adjective
• nondisingenuously adverb
• nondisingenuousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disingenuous¹

First recorded in 1645–55; dis- ¹ + ingenuous

Example Sentences

“The biggest problem is the ability to deceive people or manipulate people because it looks real, it sounds real, it’s pretty disingenuous if you didn’t say it,” Church told me.

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Their very names were disingenuous, and told you nothing about their contents, their creators, or their managers: Carina, Gemstone, Octans III, Glacier Funding.

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The ultras fan group state: "The justification for the ban is disingenuous, similar to previous bans."

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That’s not to say that the movie feels disingenuous; it’s brimming with earnestness, but fervor can be easily mistaken for fanfare.

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"Successive governments have accepted this level of risk for decades. In that context, it feels disingenuous to see politicians attempt to extract political gain from a prison system in crisis."

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Related Words

• deceitful 
• dishonest 
• false 
• unfair