duplicity

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/duˈplɪ.sɪ.ti//dju-/

noun

Intentional deceptiveness; double-dealing.

Similar
fraudulencedouble-dealing
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounduplicity (countable and uncountable, plural duplicities)

plural duplicities

  1. countableuncountableIntentional deceptiveness; double-dealing.
  2. countableuncountableThe quality of being double or twofold.

    For instance the rod-cone 'duplicity' of retinal function was first enunciated by the German microscopist Max Schultze in 1866 […]

    1982, H. B. Barlow, J. D. Mollon, Senses, page 104

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna fraudulent or duplicitous representation

Similar
fraudulence
Broader
misrepresentationdeceitdeception

nounacting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another

Similar
double-dealing
Broader
deceptiondeceitdissembling
Also see
deceitdeceitfulnessdeceptivenessdissimulationdouble-dealingdoublenessduplicitousnessfraudulencefraudulencyperfidytrickeryunderhandedness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From Latin duplicare (double). Equivalent to duplex + -ity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian двойственост, двуличие
  • двойственост (dvojstvenost)intentional deceptiveness
  • двуличие (dvuličie)intentional deceptiveness
Catalan duplicitat
  • duplicitatintentional deceptiveness
Chinese Mandarin 表裡不一 /表里不一, 口是心非
  • 表裡不一 /表里不一 (biǎolǐbùyī)intentional deceptiveness
  • 口是心非 (kǒushìxīnfēi)intentional deceptiveness
Dutch dubbelspel, dubbelhartigheid
  • dubbelspelintentional deceptiveness
  • dubbelhartigheidintentional deceptiveness
  • huichelarijintentional deceptiveness
Finnish kaksinaamaisuus
  • kaksinaamaisuusintentional deceptiveness
French duplicité, double jeu
  • duplicitéintentional deceptiveness
  • double jeuintentional deceptiveness
German Doppelspiel, Doppelzüngigkeit
  • Doppelspielintentional deceptiveness
  • Doppelzüngigkeitintentional deceptiveness
  • Duplizitätintentional deceptiveness
Greek διπροσωπία
  • διπροσωπία (diprosopía)intentional deceptiveness
Italian doppiezza
  • doppiezzaintentional deceptiveness
Japanese 二枚舌, 二心
  • 二枚舌 (nimaijita)intentional deceptiveness
  • 二心intentional deceptiveness
Māori raurekatanga
  • raurekatangaintentional deceptiveness
Polish dwulicowość
  • dwulicowośćintentional deceptiveness
Portuguese duplicidade
  • duplicidadeintentional deceptiveness
Russian двули́чность, двули́чие
  • двули́чность (dvulíčnostʹ)intentional deceptiveness
  • двули́чие (dvulíčije)intentional deceptiveness
  • дво́йственность (dvójstvennostʹ)intentional deceptiveness
Spanish duplicidad
  • duplicidadintentional deceptiveness
Turkish düzenbazlık, ikiyüzlülük
  • düzenbazlıkintentional deceptiveness
  • ikiyüzlülükintentional deceptiveness
Cite this entry
APA

duplicity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duplicity

MLA

“duplicity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duplicity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “duplicity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/duplicity.

Source: duplicity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.