white lie

noun

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

white lie

noun

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]