Duplicity
noun /djuːˈplɪsɪti/ — Deceitfulness; saying one thing while intending another.
Definition
Deliberate deceptiveness in behaviour or speech — presenting a false face while concealing real intentions.
Beyond the definition
Duplicity is betrayal in slow motion. The word names not just lying but the sustained performance of trustworthiness while pursuing the opposite. It's the gap between the presented self and the real one.
Origin & history
From Latin duplicitas (doubleness), from duplex (twofold) — from duo (two) + plicare (to fold). Literally: being folded double, facing two ways at once.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The investigation revealed years of duplicity at the highest levels of the organisation.
She suspected duplicity in his reassurances — he had lied to her before.
Corporate duplicity — saying one thing in public, planning another in private — had become normalised.
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 “Duplicity” when the meaning fits your context: Deliberate deceptiveness in behaviour or speech — presenting a false face while concealing real intentions.
Synonyms
deceitfulness, dishonesty, deception, treachery, double-dealing
Antonyms
honesty, candour, integrity, transparency
Related words
- mendacity
- perfidy
- guile
- dissimulation
Duplicity vs deception
Deception is any act of misleading — a single lie, a staged scene, a withheld truth. Duplicity is systematic deception involving a sustained double existence: saying one thing while intending another, presenting a false face over time. You can deceive someone once without being duplicitous; duplicity requires the sustained performance of trustworthiness while pursuing the opposite. Deception is the act; duplicity is the character.
Questions about this word
What does "Duplicity" mean?
Duplicity is noun meaning: Deceitfulness; saying one thing while intending another.. Deliberate deceptiveness in behaviour or speech — presenting a false face while concealing real intentions.
Where does the word "Duplicity" come from?
From Latin duplicitas (doubleness), from duplex (twofold) — from duo (two) + plicare (to fold). Literally: being folded double, facing two ways at once.