white lie

American  

noun

1. a minor, polite, or harmless lie; fib.

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white lie British  

noun

1. a minor or unimportant lie, esp one uttered in the interests of tact or politeness

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white lie Idioms  

1. An untruth told to spare feelings or from politeness, as in She asked if I liked her dress, and of course I told a white lie. This term uses white in the sense of “harmless.” [First half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Not even a white lie to avoid upsetting someone?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

In her short fur coat and bright pink lips, she said she is well aware of "everything that's happening in the world, and where black and white lie."

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

He's previously claimed the track was inspired by a sunset in Malibu, but it turns out that that's a little white lie.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2025

Those checks were rudimentary: With a click and a white lie, anyone could pass.

From New York Times • Jul. 3, 2023

Telling a white lie was something she’d never before given me permission to do.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals