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

Over the course of eight episodes, the show traces how mounting pressures, deceit and betrayal led to Alex murdering Maggie and Paul in 2021. —Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025

The phone call ignited a shocking chain of events that ultimately uncovered Murdaugh’s long history of lies and deceit, culminating in him murdering his wife and son. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025

The 2022 push for Measure B, which enabled this year’s approval of new city trash policies, was built on deceit about how much the fees would be. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2025

The premiere saw Sergeant Hank Voight’s (Jason Beghe) team trying to put the pieces back together after being disbanded, fragilely put back together again via Sarge’s usual tactics of threats and deceit. —Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 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