perfidy

American  

[pur-fi-dee] / ˈpɜr fɪ di /

noun

plural

perfidies

1. deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery.

   perfidy that goes unpunished.

2. an act or instance of faithlessness or treachery.

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ˈperfidy British  

/ ˈpɜːfɪdɪ /

noun

1. a perfidious act

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Related Words

See disloyalty.

Etymology

Origin of perfidy

1585–95; < Latin perfidia faithlessness, equivalent to perfid ( us ) faithless, literally, through (i.e., beyond the limits of ) faith ( per- per- + fid ( ēs ) faith + -us adj. suffix) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

A former JAG and current professor at Texas Tech University, Geoffrey Corn, said the U.S. has considered perfidy a crime in non-international armed conflicts.

From Salon

Jack soon learns, in Robert Penn Warren’s saga of perfidy and corruption, that Gov. Stark is right.

From The Wall Street Journal

A famous essay in the Baffler, “The Problem With Music,” laid out the perfidies of the major-label system, at the time still in a post-Nirvana feeding frenzy for young rock acts.

From Los Angeles Times

“Not doing so will allow perfidy to reign in this agency. You now have audit reports that indicate malfeasance by senior leadership.”

From Washington Post

Now, those who are convinced of the perfidy of cats won’t like the answers that are emerging.

From New York Times