pious fraud

noun

An act of innocent deceit, technically using the methods of a fraudster but for an honest, honorable purpose.

“White lies are verbal cases of pious fraud.”

OriginLatin pia fraus →
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Meanings

nounpious fraud (countable and uncountable, plural pious frauds)

plural pious frauds

  1. countableuncountableAn act of innocent deceit, technically using the methods of a fraudster but for an honest, honorable purpose.

    White lies are verbal cases of pious fraud.

  2. countableuncountableA person involved in such a fraud.

Origin

  1. Latinpia fraus
  2. Englishpious fraud

Calque of Latin pia fraus.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pious fraud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pious%20fraud

MLA

“pious fraud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pious%20fraud. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pious fraud,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pious%20fraud.

Source: pious fraud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.