deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive
a deceptive appearance
a pitcher with a deceptive windup
deceptively adverb
deceptiveness noun

Examples of deceptive in a Sentence

in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Recent Examples on the Web Its relatively slim profile is deceptive as the Mars 03 is a real monster. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 On Harrison’s to-do list this spring will be locating his primary pitches — his deceptive heater and putaway slider — as well as refining the rest of his arsenal. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Democrats ultimately agreed to relinquish the floor after Senate Republicans stripped deceptive provisions in the bill that were intended to entice voters. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2024 Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and 17 other tech companies earlier this month agreed to work together to prevent deceptive artificial-intelligence content from interfering with elections across the globe this year. Reuters, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 What the pair uncovered provides a snapshot of how generative AI is enabling deceptive new online business models. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 In both cases, the FTC relied on a law against unfair or deceptive practices. Geoff Mulvihill The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 18 Feb. 2024 Reporting helps protect yourself and other potential candidates from falling victim to deceptive practices. Siddharth Sharma, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Missouri Republicans, seeking to overcome voter opposition, have included what critics describe as deceptive language in the proposal. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deceptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see deception

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deceptive was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near deceptive

Cite this Entry

“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deceptive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deceptive

adjective
de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having power to deceive : misleading
a deceptive appearance
deceptively adverb
deceptiveness noun

Legal Definition

deceptive

adjective
de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce deceptive (audio)
: tending or having capacity to deceive
deceptive trade practices
compare fraudulent, misleading

More from Merriam-Webster on deceptive

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