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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.

Such self-deception will come back to bite them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Anything that we’re afraid of that isn’t happening now is a self-deception.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 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

He remembered remembering contrary things, but those were false memories, products of self-deception.

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.