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

• 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

And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest. —Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

The political thriller, starring Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri and Zineb Triki, is set in the powerful and glamorous Egyptian film industry, where the brightest shining star is drawn into the vicious undercurrent of deceit, corruption, and propaganda. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025

This is where the story passes beyond demagoguery and deceit and heads for the absurd. —Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025

What follows is a whirlwind adventure full of surprises, where Hania discovers the true strength of friendship, the damage caused by deceit and, ultimately, finds peace with the loss of her mother. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025

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