Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

doublespeak

American  
[duhb-uhl-speek] / ˈdʌb əlˌspik /

noun

  1. evasive, ambiguous language that is intended to deceive or confuse.

doublespeak British  
/ ˈdʌbəlˌspiːk /

noun

  1. the practice of using ambiguous language regarding political, military, or corporate matters in a deliberate attempt to disguise the truth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
doublespeak Idioms  

  1. see double talk, def. 2.

Other Word Forms

  • doublespeaker noun

Etymology

Origin of doublespeak

First recorded in 1950–55; double + speak, by analogy with doublethink

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.

“I guess it’s on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren’t real,” Altman posted on X.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

In a 420 word-long post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hit back, calling Anthropic "dishonest" and "deceptive" - and even accusing the firm of using "doublespeak".

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

No sophisticated lawyer would rely heavily on any of this doublespeak.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024

In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, characters engage in doublespeak, a way of distorting language to obscure its true meaning.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2024

In lofty bureaucratic doublespeak the policy was called the School Improvement Plan.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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.