prevarication
Americannoun
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the act of prevaricating, or lying.
Seeing the expression on his mother's face, Nathan realized this was no time for prevarication.
-
a false or deliberate misstatement; lie.
Her many prevarications had apparently paid off; she was free to go.
Etymology
Origin of prevarication
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle French, from Latin praevāricātiō-, stem of praevāricātiō “collusion,” equivalent to praevāricāt(us), past participle of praevāricārī “to collude something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate” + -iō -ion ( def. ); prevaricate ( def. )
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.
In a perfect world, it might be enough for political opponents to correct each other’s prevarications and exaggerations.
From Los Angeles Times
The source who alerted The Times to VOA’s decision feared it suggested prevarication by the administration.
From Washington Times
The children's commissioner also said there had been "a year and a half of prevarication and delay" over the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
From BBC
A devotee of prevarication and double-dealing, Molière would have made the most, in three acts, of stories like these.
From New York Times
That in itself is because of the prevarication around improving the stadium, which is likely to cost £1bn.
From BBC
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.
