chicanery
The use of trickery, especially in legal, financial, or political matters, to achieve a purpose.
Chicanery specifically refers to underhanded legal maneuvering, exploiting loopholes, or using bureaucratic red tape to cheat someone. It is the weapon of corrupt lawyers and shady politicians.
Word relationships
- subterfuge: Subterfuge is a broader term for any trick used to escape a rule or hide something, while chicanery specifically implies exploiting formal systems or laws.
- skulduggery: Skulduggery is more informal and often implies physical or underhanded criminal activity, whereas chicanery is intellectual and bureaucratic.
- probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency, especially in public or professional life.
Commonly confused with
- chic: Chic is an adjective meaning elegant and fashionable, completely unrelated to the noun chicanery.
Word family
- chicane (verb): To use chicanery to deceive or evade.
Collocations
- legal chicanery
- political chicanery
- resort to chicanery
Idioms & expressions
- sharp practice
- dirty tricks
Example sentences
- "The developer won the land rights not through fair bidding, but through political chicanery and backroom deals with city officials." A corporate lawsuit involving underhanded tactics.
- "The defense attorney was notorious for using procedural chicanery to delay trials until the prosecution's witnesses lost interest." A critique of the legal system.
Memory hook
Think of a 'she-can-hurry'—but she doesn't, because she is using legal tricks to delay the trial and confuse you. A shady lawyer using tiny print and loopholes to steal your money.
When not to use
Do not use for simple physical tricks or magic shows; chicanery is intellectual, systemic, and usually involves rules and regulations.
Fun facts
- In motorsport, a 'chicane' is an artificial feature consisting of sharp corners, designed to slow cars down. Both words share the French root meaning to create obstacles or delays.
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