dis·sim·u·late
(ˌ)di-ˈsim-yə-ˌlāt 
dissimulated; dissimulating
: to hide under a false appearance
… feels free to indulge the contempt he once had to dissimulate.—
Jeffery Henderson
Jeffery Henderson
: dissemble
a politician's ability to dissimulate
: the act of dissembling or the fact of being dissembled
some of these may recognize themselves in these pages … but I believe that I have been careful enough in dissimulation that they will not be recognized by others—J. A. Pike
: false pretense
J. A. Piketry to keep my detachment from becoming so complete a lie that I myself am deceived by it … but one thing can be gained by dissimulation, and that is an increment in dignity—Isaac Rosenfeld
Isaac RosenfeldExamples of dissimulate in a Sentence
Verb
as an actress she had been trained to dissimulate, so she had no trouble hiding her true feelings offstage as well
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Tyler Cowen, Twin Cities, 5 July 2019
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Verb
The result is that Republican politicians dissimulate much more, and of course there is no comparable primary competition.
—Tyler Cowen, Twin Cities, 5 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Dissimulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissimulate. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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