dishonesty

[ dis-on-uh-stee ]

noun

, plural dis·hon·es·ties.

1. lack of honesty; a disposition to lie, cheat, or steal.
2. a dishonest act; fraud.

dishonesty

/ dɪsˈɒnɪstɪ /

noun

1. lack of honesty or fairness; deceit
2. a deceiving act or statement; fraud

Word History and Origins

Origin of dishonesty¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, dishonesty is from the Middle English word deshonestee. See dis- ¹, honesty

Example Sentences

In a statement dated 14 December, he admitted dishonesty and misconduct but denied gross misconduct, arguing that he had panicked and acted in a "moment of madness".

From BBC

Allowing social media platforms to publish disinformation, often anonymously, promotes dishonesty and maximizes profits for those platforms at the expense of the audience they exploit.

From Salon

The organisation will consider whether to revoke an award for "proven dishonesty, and the very rare instance of a winner being convicted of a serious criminal offence resulting in a prison sentence".

From BBC

The dishonesty of this response is irritating, of course.

From Salon

But dishonesty is on tap, and there’s slipperiness to the pool it creates.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chicanery
• corruption
• criminality
• deceit
• duplicity
• falsehood
• fraud
• graft
• infidelity
• mendacity
• treachery
• trickery

More About Dishonesty

What does dishonesty mean?

Dishonesty is the opposite of honesty—it’s the act or practice of being intentionally deceptive or not fully truthful in some way.

When a person is accused of dishonesty, it usually means they are frequently or habitually untruthful—that they tend to lie often or that they often hide or leave out part of the truth.

Dishonesty involves being intentionally deceptive—deceiving people or misleading them through lies, the omission of all or parts of the truth, or the twisting of the truth.

The adjective dishonest is used to describe someone or something as intentionally deceptive or not fully truthful in some way.

Example: The level of your dishonesty is astounding—I can’t believe a word you say.

Where does dishonesty come from?

The first records of the word dishonesty come from the 1300s. The prefix dis- means “not.”

Honesty is actually pretty simple—it involves telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Dishonesty involves all different kinds of ways of being deceptive, including telling lies, hiding or leaving out parts of the truth, or using a mix of truth and lies to mislead or deceive. Just because you’re not lying doesn’t mean you’re not engaging in dishonesty.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to dishonesty?

• dishonest (adjective)

What are some synonyms for dishonesty?

• deception
• deceit
• duplicity

What are some words that share a root or word element with dishonesty? 

• honesty
• honest

What are some words that often get used in discussing dishonesty?

• lie
• untruthful
• deceive
• hide
• twist
• truth
• omit
• claim
• statement
• false

How is dishonesty used in real life?

Dishonesty is always used negatively.

A visual reminder that the Capitol riot was the culmination of months of dishonesty, not hours of it. https://t.co/yLtaihfof8

— Philip Bump (@pbump) February 11, 2021

I really loathe dishonesty.

— Sandisile🌙 (@SineKeepeng) February 12, 2021

A student #developer has had his indigenous language #app restored to the #AppStore, and #Apple has apologized for removing it on mistaken grounds of fraud and dishonesty. https://t.co/kVvzZKwFQi pic.twitter.com/vImDmI5n3a

— AppleInsider (@appleinsider) February 10, 2021

Try using dishonest!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of dishonesty?

A. deceit
B. duplicity
C. deception
D. confusion