dishonesty

[dis-on-uh-stee]

noun

plural

dishonesties 

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

The court heard Hopper did not regret the operations, but "bitterly regrets" the "dishonesty" about their cause.

From BBC

Hopper did not regret the operations, but "bitterly regrets" the "dishonesty" about their cause, he said.

From BBC

In 2005 he was jailed for six years, having posed as a priest and a hospice worker in Ayr and Prestwick to carry out crimes of dishonesty.

From BBC

Have they had a mass epiphany and collectively awakened to the fundamental dishonesty and corruption of the man they worshipped for the past ten years?

From Salon

Both of these concluded that the original false evidence was not due to dishonesty by MI5 or any of its officers.

From BBC

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.