Duplicity

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /duˈplɪ.sɪ.ti/

Definitions

1. The practice of deceiving others by concealing one's true intentions or by speaking and acting in contradictory ways
2. deceitful behavior involving deliberate contradiction between words and actions to mislead others
3. the act of being deliberately dishonest or false while concealing one's true motives and intentions

Etymology: Duplicity began its life in Latin as "duplex," meaning "twofold" or "double," and the modern sense of deceit grows naturally from that idea of having two faces. The English word is built from "duplex" plus the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state, so "duplicity" literally names the condition of being double. The meaning moved from simple doubleness toward dishonesty in English, where the word came to describe a person who says one thing while intending another. The sense of two layers, one shown and one hidden, is what keeps the word tied to deliberate concealment rather than to mere error or carelessness.

Synonyms: deceit, dishonesty, double-dealing, hypocrisy, two-facedness

Antonyms: honesty, integrity, sincerity, truthfulness, candor