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

"When we arrange pick-ups, we tell a white lie," the staff member said.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

During an interview last Thursday with CNN's Christian Amanpour, the former president told a big fib, or what could more generously be described as a white lie.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2023

Abuelita Remedios would probably forgive us for that one white lie, given that there was no other way to explain a chupacabra’s bite.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall