Chicanery

Practice This Word

Deception or trickery; a clever or fraudulent scheme intended to deceive.

noun

Chicanery

Deception or trickery; a clever or fraudulent scheme intended to deceive.

noun

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Imagine This

Jeremy is teasing his younger brother. 'I'll bet you a dollar that you don't know what the difference is between a chick and a canary.' The younger brother, puzzled, then replied, 'Hmm, I don't know. Okay, you win the bet. Here's a dollar. So what is the difference?' 'I don't know. Look in the dictionary!' 'You're such a tricky person!'

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Sounds Like

shi-KAN-uh-ree

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Looks Like

A formal, foreign-derived noun ending in -ery; visually resembles other -ery nouns (e.g., treachery).

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Remember This

From the French chicanerie, meaning trickery or deception; often used to describe deceptive practices, especially legalistic or rhetorical tricks.

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Other Forms

chicaneriesnoun (plural)

chicanernoun

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Connect With

deception, trickery, duplicity, subterfuge, scheming

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Note

Chicanery is a formal or slightly literary term. It often implies deliberate and subtle deception, sometimes through loopholes, misdirection, or ambiguous language.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The senator's speeches were full of chicanery, using legal loopholes to mask the true intent of the bill.
The contract was riddled with chicanery and hidden fees that favored the seller.

Synonyms

trickerydeceitsubterfugeduplicitywile

Antonyms

honestycandortransparencyfrankness

Etymology

From French chicanerie 'trickery, deception', from chicaner 'to quibble or cheat', of uncertain origin; related to Provençal chicaner.

Mnemonic

Chick + Canary = chicanery. Imagine a chick and a canary conspiring to trick someone.

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Articulate

adjective

Having or showing the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech.

Qualification

noun

A credential or accomplishment that makes someone eligible for a job or activity; it can also be a condition or limitation added to a statement or claim.