Word
dishonesty
Phoneticsdis·hon·esty
US/dɪˈsɑnəsti/
UK/dɪsˈɒnɪsti/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the act of lying, cheating, or being untrustworthy. It means not being honest with other people.
n. the quality of being deceitful or the act of behaving in an untrustworthy manner. Often involves the intentional distortion of truth to gain an advantage.
Examples
“His dishonesty caused him to lose his job.”
“The investigation revealed a pattern of financial dishonesty that had been hidden from the board for years.”
“While a single lie might be forgiven, a reputation for systemic dishonesty is nearly impossible to repair in a professional environment where trust is the primary currency.”
Examples
simple
“His dishonesty caused him to lose his job.”
contextual
“The investigation revealed a pattern of financial dishonesty that had been hidden from the board for years.”
complex
“While a single lie might be forgiven, a reputation for systemic dishonesty is nearly impossible to repair in a professional environment where trust is the primary currency.”
Usage
Uncountable in its abstract sense; can be used with 'of' to describe specific acts.
Real-World Examples
“They claimed that the entire population of the state, roughly two million people, was impacted by Meta's dishonesty regarding the way it controlled user data.” “Others are angry that he appears to be using his neurodivergence as an excuse for dishonesty, which of course it’s not.” “The honest and dishonest prompts are identical except for a closing instruction to report truthfully or to deflect, and a gold truth records what must be disclosed, so omission counts as dishonesty.” Etymology
From Middle English dishoneste (“disgrace, filth”), from Old French deshoneste, equivalent to dis- + honesty or dishonest + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/dishonesty