Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Deception has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
a misleading falsehood
"The politician's deception about his past criminal record fooled many voters before the truth finally came out."
the act of deceiving
"The detective uncovered the deception when he realized the suspect had forged his signature on the contract."
an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
"The street performer's illusion of levitating was pure deception, captivating only those who did not understand the mechanics behind it."
An instance of actions and/or schemes fabricated to mislead someone into believing a lie or inaccuracy.
"The detective uncovered the deception when he discovered that the entire charity drive was a scheme fabricated to steal donations."
In plain English: Deception is when someone tricks another person into believing something that isn't true.
"He felt betrayed when he discovered that her kind words were just another form of deception."
Usage: Deception refers specifically to the act of misleading rather than the false information itself, which should be described as a lie or falsehood. Avoid using "deception" when you simply mean an error or mistake that was not intentional.
The word deception entered English via the path of Middle and Old French. It ultimately derives from a Latin verb meaning "to deceive."