deceit
n. C / Un. the act of hiding the truth or lying to someone to get what you want. It is a dishonest way of behaving that makes people trust you for the wrong reasons.
n. the act or practice of propagating beliefs that are not true, or the concealment of truth to gain an unfair advantage. Often implies a calculated or habitual pattern of dishonesty.
He was caught in a web of deceit.
The company was sued for deceit after it was discovered they had hidden the safety risks of their new product.
In legal contexts, a claim of deceit requires proof that the defendant made a false representation with the intention that the plaintiff should act upon it to their detriment.
From Middle English deceyte, from Old French deceite, deçoite, from decevoir (“to deceive”), from Latin dēcipere (“to cheat, mislead”).
Uncountable when referring to the abstract quality of dishonesty; countable when referring to specific instances or acts of trickery.
He used a deceit to win.He used deceit to win.When referring to the general quality of being dishonest, the word is uncountable and does not take an article.