Vocabulary in context
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Chicanery
Deception or trickery; a clever or fraudulent scheme intended to deceive.
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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
adjectiveHaving or showing the ability to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech.
Qualification
nounA 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.
Destitute
adjectiveLacking the basic necessities of life; extremely poor.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Duplicity
nounDeceitfulness; the practice of acting with two-faced or deliberate deception.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
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