deceit

noun

de·​ceit di-ˈsēt 

1

: the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : the act or practice of deceiving : deception

achieving one's goals through a web of deceit

2

: an attempt or device to deceive : trick

Her excuse turned out to be a deceit.

3

: the quality of being dishonest or misleading : the quality of being deceitful : deceitfulness

… far from deceit or guile.

—John Milton

Synonyms

• artifice
• cheating
• cozenage
• craft
• craftiness
• crookedness
• crookery
• cunning
• cunningness
• deceitfulness
• deception
• deceptiveness
• dishonesty
• dissembling
• dissimulation
• double-dealing
• dupery
• duplicity
• fakery
• foxiness
• fraud
• guile
• guilefulness
• wiliness

Examples of deceit in a Sentence

a rise to power that was marked by treachery and deceit

she's completely free of deceit

Recent Examples on the Web

Face Swaps Are The Deepfake of Choice In some cases, simple off-the-shelf face swapping tools are being used to create a whole web of deceit and deception too. —Frank McKenna, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

The job introduces Tom to a life of deceit, fraud and murder. —Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024

Macbeth’s themes of deceit and dishonor sit squarely within the director's filmography while also crafting one of the most atmospheric and affecting Shakespeare works to date. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Sep. 2024

The point is how these people see themselves and their lives, through veils of delusion and deceit. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deceite, from Anglo-French, from Latin decepta, feminine of deceptus, past participle of decipere — see deceive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deceit

• self-deceit

Kids Definition

deceit

noun

de·​ceit di-ˈsēt 

1

: the act or practice of deceiving : deception

2

: an attempt or scheme to deceive : trick

3

: the quality of being deceitful

Legal Definition

deceit

noun

de·​ceit

: deliberate and misleading concealment, false declaration, or artifice : deception

theft by deceit

also : the tort of committing or carrying out deceit

an action for deceit

see also fraud, misrepresentation