Cheatings

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃiːtɪŋz/

Definitions

1. Fraudulent acts aimed at gaining an unfair advantage or benefit
2. instances where deception is employed for personal gain or to manipulate outcomes
3. behaviors involving dishonesty that violate trust in various contexts

Etymology: "Cheatings" is simply the plural of "cheating," so it takes its history from the verb "cheat." That verb comes from the Middle English "escheat," a legal term for property that reverts to a feudal lord when an owner dies without an heir. Over time the initial "es" dropped away, and "chete" came to mean the goods or revenue seized by an officer of the crown, sometimes by fraud. From there the sense of trickery and deception grew, so the word moved from a feudal land claim to a general charge of dishonest dealing. The plural form is used for particular acts of dishonesty rather than the general practice, so a sentence like "his cheatings were finally exposed" refers to specific instances. The noun "cheating" itself is the gerund of the verb, which is why the plural can be formed at all.

Synonyms: deceptions, frauds, tricks, scams, swindles

Antonyms: honesty, integrity, truthfulness, sincerity, trustworthiness