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Synonyms

self-deception

American  
[self-di-sep-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈsɛp ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

  1. the act or fact of deceiving oneself.

self-deception British  

noun

  1. the act or an instance of deceiving oneself, esp as to the true nature of one's feelings or motives

"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

Other Word Forms

  • self-deceptive adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-deception

First recorded in 1670–80

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.

His research ranged from the evolutionary dimension of human altruism to the logic of deceit and self-deception.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

This seems to be more of a problem than he’s admitting, and it’s not the only self-deception he practices.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

"In other words, our study didn't give us any indications that the widespread misconceptions regarding climate change are due to this kind of self-deception," says Zimmermann, summing up his work.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2024

Tromp believed that the prince's lie had eventually turned into self-deception.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2023

In the dream his deepest feeling was always one of self-deception, because he did in fact know what was behind the wall of darkness.

From "1984" by George Orwell

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.