Cant
noun /kant/ — The secret language of outlaws; or hypocritical pious talk.
Definition
The secret language of thieves and beggars, used to exclude the uninitiated; more broadly, hypocritical and sanctimonious talk; stock phrases repeated without meaning.
Beyond the definition
Cant has two related meanings that are both about falseness. The original cant is the thief's coded language — words meant to deceive and exclude. The secondary meaning is the language of false virtue — the pious phrases that mean nothing, the moral vocabulary deployed for social performance rather than genuine belief.
Origin & history
From Latin cantare (to sing). The original sense was the whining sing-song of beggars asking for alms — hence a specialized begging vocabulary, hence any secret group language, hence any language used for effect rather than communication.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Elizabethan canting vocabulary was recorded in rogues' pamphlets that documented the underworld.
Her speech was full of progressive cant — the right words in the right order, signalling rather than meaning.
He had no patience for the cant of professional politics — the language that performs concern without requiring it.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Cant” when the meaning fits your context: The secret language of thieves and beggars, used to exclude the uninitiated; more broadly, hypocritical and sanctimonious talk; stock phrases repeated without meaning.
Synonyms
argot, jargon, doublespeak, hypocrisy
Antonyms
plain speech, sincerity
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Tablet with Repeated Shapes
An archaeologist studies a clay tablet with repeated geometric shapes, comparing it to blank parchment and an old pot.
The tablet represents the nature of cant—repetition of symbols that appear to have meaning but can serve to exclude others. It mirrors the way hypocritical talk uses stock phrases repeated without depth to maintain the appearance of belonging to an 'initiated' group.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Cant" mean?
Cant is noun meaning: The secret language of outlaws; or hypocritical pious talk.. The secret language of thieves and beggars, used to exclude the uninitiated; more broadly, hypocritical and sanctimonious talk; stock phrases repeated without meaning.
Where does the word "Cant" come from?
From Latin cantare (to sing). The original sense was the whining sing-song of beggars asking for alms — hence a specialized begging vocabulary, hence any secret group language, hence any language used for effect rather than communication.