doublespeak
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of doublespeak
First recorded in 1950–55; double + speak, by analogy with doublethink
Explanation
Words that appear at first glance to mean one thing but actually hide (or even reverse) their true meaning are known as doublespeak. When a company "downsizes," that actually means a lot of people are losing their jobs. Instead of a blunt, straightforward word or phrase, doublespeak uses euphemisms and ambiguity to disguise or soften a message. Military leaders might refer to "servicing the target" when they mean dropping bombs, and a used car salesman most likely prefers describing older vehicles as "pre-owned." The word doublespeak comes from the George Orwell novel 1984 and is a cross between Orwell's terms doublethink and Newspeak.
Vocabulary lists containing doublespeak
Idioms and Expressions, List 2
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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.
Peck’s new documentary “Orwell: 2+2=5” uses the author’s own words to confront propaganda, doublespeak and the spread of authoritarianism in the 21st century.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
“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
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
