dishonesty

noun

dis·​hon·​es·​ty (ˌ)dis-ˈä-nə-stē How to pronounce dishonesty (audio)
 also  (ˌ)diz-
1
: lack of honesty or integrity : disposition to defraud or deceive
2
: a dishonest act : fraud

Examples of dishonesty in a Sentence

Are you accusing him of dishonesty? her dishonesty about what happened
Recent Examples on the Web But when the primary check on that power — Congress — is similarly infected by Trump’s brand of bullying dishonesty, where else does America go? Christian Schneider, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 Phones can't be used for bullying or sharing inappropriate images, in locker rooms/dressing areas/bathrooms, or for academic dishonesty, etc. Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 The Daily Show is supposed to cut through the media’s dishonesty, not parrot it. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024 Representing someone else’s work as your own is an act of academic dishonesty. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 As played by Molina, Carlos is a figure who bets on his casual charm to mask his noncommittal nature and penchant for dishonesty. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024 Vaccine denial, climate denial, election denial and war-crime denial have joined the grotesque denial of the Holocaust in the ranks of dishonesties now regularly foisted on the public. Stephan Lewandowsky, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024 The following day, Choate sent a nine-page letter to members of the committee accusing Smith of dishonesty and calling on him to resign. Frank E. Lockwood, arkansasonline.com, 27 Jan. 2024 With its stories, Business Insider raised both the idea of hypocrisy and the possibility that academic dishonesty is widespread, even among the nation’s most prominent scholars. David Bauder, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dishonesty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dishonesty was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near dishonesty

Cite this Entry

“Dishonesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dishonesty. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dishonesty

noun
dis·​hon·​es·​ty (ˈ)dis-ˈän-ə-stē How to pronounce dishonesty (audio)
: lack of honesty : the quality of being dishonest

More from Merriam-Webster on dishonesty

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