deception

deception — noun

1. intentionally causing a person to hold a false belief, typically so that you can

1.nounB2
Definition

intentionally causing a person to hold a false belief, typically so that you can gain something from their mistaken trust

Example

The company was found guilty of deception after lying about product safety.

passive: be guilty of deception

Mizuki's deception was finally discovered when colleagues found the altered documents.

deception discovered / exposed

Common collocations
  • deliberate deception
  • deception is exposed
  • guilty of deception
  • deception about
  • deception of
Synonyms
  • deceit

    more focused on the quality or habit of being dishonest rather than a specific act

  • fraud

    a legal term for criminal deception for financial or material gain

  • trickery

    suggests clever but dishonest methods, often in a less serious or more playful way

Antonyms
  • honesty

    the quality of being truthful and straightforward

  • truthfulness

    the habit of telling the truth

Grammar Patterns

deception + about + noun phrase

deception + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Use deceive (verb) for the action, deception for the act or practice itself. Frequently found in legal and political contexts, often followed by about (deception about the risks) or of (deception of the public).

Common Mistakes

He deceptioned his boss.
He deceived his boss.
Deception is a noun only; the verb form is deceive.
She told a deception.
She told a lie.' or 'She committed an act of deception.
A deception is usually a planned campaign or system of falsehood, not a single false statement.

2. a false statement, dishonest action, or planned situation that is created specif

2.nounB2
Definition

a false statement, dishonest action, or planned situation that is created specifically to trick someone

Example

The email promising a free vacation was a clever deception designed to steal personal information.

collocation: clever deception

Ada realized the job offer was a deception meant to steal her savings.

realize [something] is a deception

Common collocations
  • clever deception
  • elaborate deception
  • a web of deception
Synonyms
  • trick

    more general and can be playful; deception is always dishonest and often serious

  • hoax

    a deliberate deception intended to fool a large number of people, often as a joke or scam

  • lie

    a false statement made intentionally; narrower than deception, which can include actions and situations

Antonyms
  • truth

    a fact or statement that is accurate and honest

Grammar Patterns

a deception + to-infinitive

a deception + relative clause

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (the act/process), this sense refers to a specific thing — a trick, a false promise, or a misleading story. You can count individual deceptions: He told one deception after another.

Common Mistakes

The children played a deception on their teacher.
The children played a trick on their teacher.
Deception is too strong and formal for a harmless prank.

3. the situation or experience of having been tricked into believing something fals

3.nounC1
Definition

the situation or experience of having been tricked into believing something false, often without realizing it at the time

Example

The investors lived in a state of deception for months, believing their money was growing.

collocation: state of deception

After discovering the truth, Defne struggled with the painful awareness of her deception.

awareness of deception — realisation of being tricked

Common collocations
  • state of deception
  • live in deception
  • under deception
Synonyms
  • delusion

    can refer to a false belief held even without another person's trickery; self-deception

  • misapprehension

    a misunderstanding, often without intentional trickery by another party

Antonyms
  • enlightenment

    the state of having full understanding and knowledge of the truth

Grammar Patterns

in/under deception

state of deception

Usage Note

This sense is less common and mostly used in formal or literary writing. It focuses on the victim's perspective — being in a deceived state — rather than the deceiver's actions. Distinguish from sense 1 (the act of deceiving) and sense 2 (a specific trick or lie).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve a lack of truth, but they differ in scope and seriousness. Deception (the broadest term) focuses on the act or process of making someone believe something false — it can describe a single lie or an ongoing campaign of falsehood. Deceit is more personal and character-focused: a deceitful person has a habitual tendency to be dishonest. Fraud is a specific legal term for deception carried out for financial or material gain, almost always involving documents, money, or contracts. Dishonesty is the most general — it covers any lack of truthfulness, from a small white lie to a major scam. For example, hiding chocolate from a child is dishonesty, saying it is medicine is deception, running a fake investment scheme is fraud, and a person who routinely twists the truth is deceitful.

deception ↗deceit ↗fraud ↗dishonesty ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a campaign of deception
  • a web of deception
  • an elaborate deception
  • obtained by deception

Prepositions

  • by deception
  • through deception
  • deception about

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Deception entered English in the 15th century through Old French decepcio, from Latin deceptionem (a deceiving), which came from decipere — 'to catch, ensnare, or take by trap.' The root combines de- (away from) with capere (to take or seize), painting the original image of someone being 'caught away' from the truth, like an animal in a trap.