deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv 
: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive
a deceptive appearance
a pitcher with a deceptive windup
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Examples of deceptive in a Sentence
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Recent Examples on the Web
As with the deceptive home robot demos, there is a difference between the ideal version of a task and the messy reality of putting humanoids to work in commercial settings.
—
James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Deepfake regulations remain limited nationwide Georgia lawmakers have moved to ban deceptive AI campaign materials.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
False, deceptive, or incomplete entries or information provided by entrants at any point relating to the Contest may render the entry ineligible, regardless of when the problem is discovered.
—Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
Incentivized by larger sales bonuses, brokers were using deceptive marketing materials to sell short-term policies, the report said.
—Peter Whoriskey The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
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James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Deepfake regulations remain limited nationwide Georgia lawmakers have moved to ban deceptive AI campaign materials.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
False, deceptive, or incomplete entries or information provided by entrants at any point relating to the Contest may render the entry ineligible, regardless of when the problem is discovered.
—Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2025
Incentivized by larger sales bonuses, brokers were using deceptive marketing materials to sell short-term policies, the report said.
—Peter Whoriskey The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having power to deceive : misleading
a deceptive appearance
deceptively
adverb
deceptiveness
noun
Legal Definition
deceptive
adjective
de·cep·tive
di-ˈsep-tiv
: tending or having capacity to deceive
deceptive trade practices
compare fraudulent, misleading
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