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DictionarymendacityDishonesty
noun

mendacity

men-DAS-uh-tee/menˈdæsəti/

Dishonesty, especially a tendency to lie.

The sequence portrays his mendacity through repeated denials of visible wrongdoing.

Three adjacent small moments of the same adult telling falsehoods: repeatedly raising a denying palm while hiding a broken cup, then a taken cookie, then a missing wallet behind his back, with evidence visible.
Etymology
mendacLatinlying, deceitful
+ityLatinquality or state

The Latin adjective described someone deceitful. The abstract ending turns that description into a quality or disposition, giving the selected sense of habitual lying.

In context

George Galloway0:00
watching the anglo-saxon war machine mechanized mendacity moving across the terrain of public opinion is an awesome sight
It’s mechanised mendacity. The same voices that brought us the Iraq catastrophe are chorusing again

More examples

  • His habitual mendacity made every explanation doubtful.
  • The essay contrasts the official’s public charm with his private mendacity.
  • She challenged the mendacity of the repeated claim.

Forms

mendacity

mendacious adjective — dishonest or untruthful

Similar words

dishonesty
Dishonesty includes deception beyond false statements; mendacity particularly concerns lying.
deceit
Deceit is misleading conduct generally; mendacity emphasizes falsehood or a habit of it.