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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

duplicity

Noun

IPA /djuːˈplɪsəti/

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Meaning in plain English

Deliberately dishonest behaviour in which someone hides their true intentions or presents different stories to different people.

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Pronunciation

duplicity/djuːˈplɪsəti/

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  1. One person is promised one thing

  2. Another is secretly told the opposite

  3. The true intention is deliberately hidden

Duplicity involves dishonest behaviour that hides the truth from other people.

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Examples in context

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  1. His duplicity became clear when both neighbours compared his promises.
  2. The investigation exposed duplicity in the company's dealings with customers.

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His ________ became clear when both neighbours compared his promises.
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duplicity — Deliberately dishonest behaviour in which someone hides their true intentions or presents different stories to different people.

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Deliberately dishonest behaviour in which someone hides their true intentions or presents different stories to different people.

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Word origin

From Latin duplicitas, related to elements meaning two and fold, through French.

Did you know?

Duplicity carries the idea of deceitfulness, rather than an accidental misunderstanding.

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duplicity

/djuːˈplɪsəti/ (Noun)

“This formal noun is uncountable. It is a strong accusation of deliberate dishonesty.”

englishskillstudio.com