Vocabulary in context
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Mendacity
The tendency to lie; a false statement or untruth.
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Imagine This
The mayor apologized that he had lied to the people. He used the public money to build his own mansion instead of mending the city.
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Sounds Like
men-DAS-i-tee
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Looks Like
mend + acity (looks like the word 'mend' plus 'acity')
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Remember This
Mendacity comes from Latin mendacitas meaning lying; it is a formal term for dishonest behavior and is often used in political or literary analysis.
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Other Forms
mendaciousadjective
mendaciouslyadverb
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Connect With
deceit, falsehood, dishonesty, prevarication, duplicity
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Note
Mendacity is a noun; the adjective form is mendacious and the adverb is mendaciously. It denotes a pattern or instance of lying, not a single untruth in casual speech.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The senator's mendacity alienated voters once the scandal became public.
- The witness's mendacity was exposed during cross-examination, casting doubt on the entire testimony.
Synonyms
falsehooddeceitdishonestyprevaricationduplicity
Antonyms
honestytruthfulnessveracity
Etymology
From Latin mendacitas 'lying, falsehood', from mendax 'lying', with the suffix -itas forming a noun of quality; entered English via Old French mendacité or directly from Latin.
Mnemonic
MEND A CITY: The word Mendacity looks like the phrase 'mend a city.' Use this to remember that it refers to lying or deceit, not actually fixing things.
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Eulogize
verbTo praise or pay tribute to someone, especially after death.
Imminent
adjectiveAbout to happen; near in time; likely to occur very soon.
Maverick
nounA person who refuses to follow the crowd; a nonconformist; someone who acts independently and resists conventional norms. The term can also describe such independent behavior when used as an adjective (e.g., a maverick thinker).
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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