deception

noun

de·​cep·​tion di-ˈsep-shən 

1

a

: the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : the act of deceiving

resorting to falsehood and deception

used deception to leak the classified information

b

: the fact or condition of being deceived

the deception of his audience

2

: something that deceives : trick

fooled by a scam artist's clever deception

deceptional

di-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of deception

• deceit
• deceptiveness
• fraud
• cheating
• deceitfulness
• cunning

Choose the Right Synonym for deception

deception, fraud, double-dealing, subterfuge, trickery mean the acts or practices of one who deliberately deceives.

deception may or may not imply blameworthiness, since it may suggest cheating or merely tactical resource.

magicians are masters of deception

fraud always implies guilt and often criminality in act or practice.

indicted for fraud

double-dealing suggests treachery or at least action contrary to a professed attitude.

a go-between suspected of double-dealing

subterfuge suggests the adoption of a stratagem or the telling of a lie in order to escape guilt or to gain an end.

obtained the papers by subterfuge

trickery implies ingenious acts intended to dupe or cheat.

resorted to trickery to gain their ends

Examples of deception in a Sentence

She accuses the company of willful deception in its advertising.

His many deceptions did not become known until years after he died.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even worse, their interventions actually seemed to backfire, by teaching the models to hide their deception better. — Kevin Roose, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Most often, this would be a network of fake accounts discovered by social media companies as part of their efforts to eliminate bots, scams, and online deception on their platforms. — RenÉe Diresta, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

In writing her for the series, Kazan realized Cathy, despite her deceptions, is almost always telling the truth. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Later, as the company relies more and more on the AI for a combination of coding help and strategic advice, the AI might use subtle persuasion to reduce resources spent on safety and tamper with experiments designed to detect AI deception. — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English decepcioun, from Anglo-French deception, from Late Latin deception-, deceptio, from Latin decipere to deceive

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing deception

• practice deception on
• self-deception

Rhymes for deception

• conception
• exception
• inception
• perception
• reception
• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• preconception
• intussusception

Kids Definition

deception

noun

de·​cep·​tion di-ˈsep-shən 

1

a

: the act of deceiving

b

: the fact or condition of being deceived

2

: something that deceives : trick

Legal Definition

deception

noun

de·​cep·​tion di-ˈsep-shən 

1

: an act of deceiving

2

: something that deceives : deceit