Duplicitously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Marked by deliberate deception and contradictory behavior meant to conceal one's true intentions or mislead others
2. in a manner involving deliberate deception through contradictory statements or actions designed to mislead and conceal true intentions
3. with calculated dishonesty that employs two-faced behavior to deceive others about one's actual motives or trustworthiness

Etymology: "Duplicitously" is "duplicitous" plus the adverb ending "-ly", and it is a plain stack of two parts. The base "duplicitous" carries the older idea of doubling. It is built on "duplicity", which comes from Latin "duplex", meaning "double" or "twofold", the same root behind English "duplicate". Over time "duplicity" came to mean being two-faced: saying one thing while meaning another, or showing a double heart. The adjective "duplicitous" joined English with the Latin suffix "-osus", which means "full of" and passed through Old French. The English adverb ending "-ly" comes from Old English "-līċe", which turns adjectives into adverbs describing how something is done. So "duplicitously" literally describes acting in a manner full of doubleness, which is exactly how deliberate deception and mixed signals work.

Synonyms: deceitfully, dishonestly, insidiously, fraudulently, hypocritically

Antonyms: honestly, sincerely, openly, genuinely, transparently