disingenuous
adjective
dis·in·gen·u·ous
ˌdis-in-ˈjen-yə-wəs 
-yü-əs
: lacking in candor
also
: giving a false appearance of simple frankness : calculating
disingenuously
adverb
disingenuousness
noun
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A disingenuous remark might contain some superficial truth, but it is delivered with the intent to deceive or to serve some hidden purpose. Its base word ingenuous (derived from a Latin adjective meaning "native" or "freeborn") can describe someone who, like a child, is innocent or lacking guile or craftiness. English speakers began frequently joining the negative prefix dis- with ingenuous to create disingenuous during the 17th century.
Examples of disingenuous in a Sentence
"It's had nine murders since 1937—about the same as you would get in many small towns." This was correct, but a wee disingenuous. The AT [Appalachian Trail] had no murders in its first thirty-six years and nine in the past twenty-two.
—
Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, 1999
… and he egged Badger on, asking a disingenuous question about the antivivisection rally in Cleveland, and as Badger took the thought up and chewed it over, the Doctor made as if to excuse himself.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
… he has a disingenuous way of resorting to slang when he wants to make a big point but is afraid of sounding pretentious.
—Karen Schoemer, New York Times Book Review, 31 Oct. 1993
Unity is at best an ideal, at worst a disingenuous political slogan.
—Salman Rushdie, The Independent on Sunday, 25 Nov. 1990
Her recent expressions of concern are self-serving and disingenuous.
Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, 1999
… and he egged Badger on, asking a disingenuous question about the antivivisection rally in Cleveland, and as Badger took the thought up and chewed it over, the Doctor made as if to excuse himself.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
… he has a disingenuous way of resorting to slang when he wants to make a big point but is afraid of sounding pretentious.
—Karen Schoemer, New York Times Book Review, 31 Oct. 1993
Unity is at best an ideal, at worst a disingenuous political slogan.
—Salman Rushdie, The Independent on Sunday, 25 Nov. 1990
Her recent expressions of concern are self-serving and disingenuous.
Recent Examples on the Web
My audience can smell something disingenuous pretty quick.
—Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Levine said the deposition was cynically used by opposing lawyers, who snipped a small portion of a long deposition to paint a disingenuous narrative.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Sadly, Mamdani is disingenuous about my tribe.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026
Friedkin, who died in 2023 and is seen only in archival interviews, now seems disingenuous in some of his denials that the film was exploitative, especially with regard to the murder that inspired it.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
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Holly Gleason, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Levine said the deposition was cynically used by opposing lawyers, who snipped a small portion of a long deposition to paint a disingenuous narrative.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Sadly, Mamdani is disingenuous about my tribe.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026
Friedkin, who died in 2023 and is seen only in archival interviews, now seems disingenuous in some of his denials that the film was exploitative, especially with regard to the murder that inspired it.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disingenuous
Cite this Entry
“Disingenuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disingenuous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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