duplicity

Word relationships

• double-dealing: Double-dealing is a more direct, Anglo-Saxon term that refers specifically to business or political betrayal, while duplicity has a broader, more psychological feel.
• deceit: Deceit is a general term for lying, whereas duplicity specifically requires the element of being 'two-faced'.

• sincerity: Sincerity is the quality of being open, honest, and genuine in one's feelings and actions.
• candor: Candor is the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.

Commonly confused with

• duplication: Duplication is the act of copying or replicating something physically, while duplicity is psychological double-dealing.

Word family

• duplicitous (adjective): Deceitful in words or actions; two-faced.

Collocations

• accused of duplicity
• expose the duplicity
• web of duplicity

Idioms & expressions

• two-faced behavior
• stab in the back

Example sentences

• "When the board discovered his duplicity—secretly negotiating with their chief competitor while claiming loyalty—he was immediately fired." A betrayal of trust between business partners.
• "The villain's duplicity was so complete that even his closest friends believed he was a saint until his schemes were exposed." A classic literary theme of double-dealing.

Memory hook

Think of 'duplicate'. A duplicitous person has a duplicate face that they wear depending on who they are talking to. A folded piece of paper with a friendly face on the outside and a knife on the inside.

When not to use

Do not use for a single, isolated lie; duplicity refers to a systematic, two-faced approach to relationships or business.

Fun facts

• The root 'plicare' (to fold) also gives us 'complicate' (folded together) and 'implicate' (folded in).

Explore more words

duplicitous, hypocritical, deceitful, double-cross, subterfuge, treachery

Also appears in

• Relationships → Trust & Loyalty
• Relationships → Betrayal & Treachery
• Conflict → Treason & Defection