ENGLISH
REFERENCE

deception

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈsɛpʃən// UK //dɪsˈɛpʃən// de·cep·tion

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.


SIMPLE

The magician used clever deception to hide the coin.

CONTEXTUAL

He was found guilty of obtaining the money through deception by using a fake identity.

COMPLEX

In the world of international espionage, the line between strategic deception and genuine diplomacy is often blurred to the point of invisibility.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English decepcioun, from Old French decepcion, from Latin dēcipiō (“to deceive”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the abstract concept of dishonesty; countable when referring to specific instances or tricks.

Pitfall

He committed a deception against me.He deceived me.Learners often use the noun 'deception' with 'commit' when the verb 'deceive' is more natural for personal interactions.

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