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Duplicity
Deceitfulness; the practice of acting with two-faced or deliberate deception.
nounđź’ˇ
Imagine This
A small city called 'Duplicate City' clones its people so that its enemies are deliberately deceived into thinking the city's population is very large in order to avoid being attacked.
🔊
Sounds Like
doo-PLIS-i-tee
đź‘€
Looks Like
duplicate city
đź“ť
Remember This
From Latin duplicitas meaning doubleness; related to 'duplicate' and 'duplex'. The idea of two faces or two appearances helps recall the meaning.
đź“š
Other Forms
duplicitousadjective
duplicitouslyadverb
đź”—
Connect With
deceit, deception, double-dealing, hypocrisy, mendacity, treachery
đź“Ś
Note
Duplicity refers to intentional deceit in behavior or speech, not merely inconsistency or error. Do not confuse with 'duplication' (making an exact copy) or 'duplicable' (able to be duplicated).
đź§
Study Deeper
Examples
- The politician's duplicity was exposed when his public statements contradicted his private messages.
- The company's duplicity shocked investors after hidden waste disposal practices came to light.
Synonyms
deceitdeceptiondouble-dealinghypocrisytreachery
Antonyms
honestycandorintegrity
Etymology
From Latin duplicitas 'doubleness', from duplicus 'double' (from duo 'two').
Mnemonic
DUPLI-CITY: Think of a city made of doubles—two faces in one person—reminding you that duplicity means deliberate deceit.
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Ethereal
adjectiveExtremely delicate, light, or heavenly; intangible and otherworldly in nature.
Exacerbate
verbTo make something worse; to aggravate or intensify a problem or situation.
Indulgent
adjectiveTending to be lenient or permissive; inclined to indulge others' desires or interests, often pampering them.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Mendacity
nounThe tendency to lie; a false statement or untruth.
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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