deception
n.the act of hiding the truth or making someone believe something that is not true. You use this when someone is being dishonest to get an advantage.
n.the act of deliberately misleading or tricking someone into believing a falsehood. Often involves the concealment of truth for personal gain or strategic advantage.
“The magician used clever deception to hide the coin.”
“He was found guilty of obtaining the money through deception by using a fake identity.”
“In the world of international espionage, the line between strategic deception and genuine diplomacy is often blurred to the point of invisibility.”
Uncountable when referring to the abstract concept of dishonesty; countable when referring to specific instances or tricks.
Learners often use the noun 'deception' with 'commit' when the verb 'deceive' is more natural for personal interactions.
“The polygraph’s power lies in creating the conditions under which deception is confessed.”
“Series two keeps the bar for grim deception high, beginning with Liv’s whirlwind romance with Matthew, who was desperate to have a family with her.”
From Middle English decepcioun, from Old French decepcion, from Latin dēcipiō (“to deceive”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.