noun

deception

dih-SEP-shuhn/dɪˈsepʃn/

The act or means of making someone believe something false.

The conjurer's deception hides the coin while attention stays on the empty hand.

A conjurer secretly transfers coin behind back while audience watches empty hand, concealed truth and misleading attention, no text.

Etymology

deLatinfrom; or negative force

+ceptLatinto take

+ionLatinact or state

The combination of de- and “take” formed a verb meaning “ensnare” or “take in,” hence misleading someone. Here de- means either “from” or adds a negative force.

In context

Audiobooks Owl2:04

her lies were so intricate, her presence so magnetic that even seasoned professionals, people who thought themselves immune to deception,

Anatomy of a Con Artist: Inside the Minds of Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves (Audiobook Documentary)

More examples

The fraud depended on deliberate deception.
She uncovered several deceptions in the account.
His success had been built on deception.

Forms

deception · deceptions

deceive verb — Make someone believe something false.

Similar words

deceit: Often emphasizes deliberate dishonesty as a quality or practice.
fraud: Fraud usually involves deliberate dishonesty for advantage.