noun
dishonesty
dis-AH-nih-stee/dɪsˈɑːnɪsti/
The quality or act of being deceitful or untruthful.
Her dishonesty makes it hard for anyone to trust her.
Etymology
“Not” plus “honorableness” first expressed disgrace or want of honor. That broad social judgment developed into the more specific lack of integrity seen in deceitful conduct.
In context
Dishonesty, lying can be of hundreds of types but the truth is one. The cessation of all those lying activities, of all those forms of lies, of dishonesty, the cessation of that is peace.
More examples
- He loses his job because of dishonesty on his expense reports.
- Even small acts of dishonesty can damage a friendship.
- She admits her dishonesty and tells us what really happened.
Forms
dishonesty · dishonesties
dishonest adjective — Not truthful or willing to deceive.
dishonestly adverb — In a way that deceives others.
Similar words
- deceit
- Emphasizes deliberately misleading someone, often through tricks or concealment.
- untruthfulness
- Focuses specifically on saying things that are not true.