deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive
a deceptive appearance
a pitcher with a deceptive windup
deceptively adverb
deceptiveness noun

Examples of deceptive in a Sentence

in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Doing so could constitute a deceptive trade practice, and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office or local district attorneys could then investigate to determine the cause of the price hike. Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2025 The 81-page federal complaint charging Universal Music Group with defamation, harassment and payola (deceptive business practices) is a page-turner that seems penned more for press and public consumption (and perhaps label renegotiation) than judicial inspection. Bill Hochberg, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025 Silas Stein | Picture Alliance | Getty Images American Express will pay approximately $230 million to resolve a federal criminal wire fraud investigation and settle allegations of deceptive marketing, the company said Thursday. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2025 Amex simultaneously reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a civil penalty of $108.7 million to settle related allegations of deceptive marketing. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for deceptive 

Word History

Etymology

see deception

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deceptive was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near deceptive

Cite this Entry

“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

deceptive

adjective
de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having power to deceive : misleading
a deceptive appearance
deceptively adverb
deceptiveness noun

Legal Definition

deceptive

adjective
de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having capacity to deceive
deceptive trade practices
compare fraudulent, misleading

More from Merriam-Webster on deceptive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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