deceit

noun

de·​ceit di-ˈsēt 

1

: the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : the act or practice of deceiving : deception

achieving one's goals through a web of deceit

2

: an attempt or device to deceive : trick

Her excuse turned out to be a deceit.

3

: the quality of being dishonest or misleading : the quality of being deceitful : deceitfulness

… far from deceit or guile.

—John Milton

Synonyms of deceit

• deception
• deceptiveness
• fraud
• deceitfulness
• cheating
• cunning

Examples of deceit in a Sentence

a rise to power that was marked by treachery and deceit

she's completely free of deceit

Recent Examples on the Web

Had those industries spoken plainly about the dangers of their products, their motives would rightly have been scrutinized—but the candor itself would have been preferable to years of deceit. — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 2026

The one where a man, his mother, and his entire army are slaughtered by deceit? — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 July 2026

More often than not, Odysseus’s deceit is manipulative and self-serving. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026

The two chief executives are just a few months removed from a lawsuit in which Musk, one of the founders of OpenAI, accused Altman of deceit and breach of contract by shifting the company from its nonprofit mission to a for-profit enterprise. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deceite, from Anglo-French, from Latin decepta, feminine of deceptus, past participle of decipere — see deceive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deceit

• self-deceit

Rhymes for deceit

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

deceit

noun

de·​ceit di-ˈsēt 

1

: the act or practice of deceiving : deception

2

: an attempt or scheme to deceive : trick

3

: the quality of being deceitful

Legal Definition

deceit

noun

de·​ceit

: deliberate and misleading concealment, false declaration, or artifice : deception

theft by deceit

also : the tort of committing or carrying out deceit

an action for deceit

see also fraud, misrepresentation