dissimulation
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of dissimulation
1350–1400; Middle English dissimulacioun (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dissimulātiōn- (stem of dissimulātiō a feigning); see dis- 1, simulation
Explanation
The noun dissimulation describes the act of faking your true feelings. Your dissimulation of happiness might fool strangers but your close friends can tell it's all an act. The word dissimulation implies that the wool is being pulled over someone's eyes, or they're being fooled or tricked by someone's deceit. The origin of dissimulation is the Latin dissimulationem, which means "a disguising or concealment." Don't confuse dissimulation with dissimilation, which describes the act of making something different or less similar.
Vocabulary lists containing dissimulation
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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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.
But May was beloved because he remained utterly unpretentious, without guile or dissimulation, candid to the point of tactlessness.
From Scientific American • May 26, 2020
Under these circumstances, evasion is unacceptable, and any attempt at dissimulation should be rejected.
From Slate • Sep. 17, 2018
Even without flagrant dissimulation, body-camera footage is often highly contentious.
From The New Yorker • Aug. 20, 2018
“It is for public opinion,” Giuliani said of his public campaign of dissimulation.
From The Guardian • May 27, 2018
Mordred went over to him with haste, with a sort of shamefaced dissimulation.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
