deceit

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An act or practice intended to deceive; a trick.

   The whole conversation was merely a deceit.

2. 2
   noun

   An act of deceiving someone.

   Upon his return he killed Eriphyle for her vanity and deceit of him and his father.

3. 3
   noun

   The state of being deceitful or deceptive.

   [T]he tvvo commended rules by him [Aristotle] ſet down, vvhereby the axioms of Sciences are precepted to be made convertible, and vvhich the latter men have not vvithout elegancy ſurnamed; the one the rule of truth, becauſe it preventeth deceipt; the other the rule of prudence, becauſe it freeth election, are the ſame thing in ſpeculation and affirmation, vvhich vve novv obſerve.

4. 4
   noun

   the act of deceiving

5. 5
   noun

   the quality of being fraudulent

6. 6
   noun

   a misleading falsehood

7. 7
   noun

   The tort or fraudulent representation of a material fact made with knowledge of its falsity, or recklessly, or without reasonable grounds for believing its truth and with intent to induce reliance on it; the plaintiff justifiably relies on the deception, to his injury.

Etymology

From Middle English deceyte, from Old French deceite, deçoite, from decevoir (“to deceive”), from Latin dēcipere (“to cheat, mislead”).