“Duplicity” means deceitful double-dealing —saying or showing one thing while secretly intending or doing another.

Core meaning

  • In everyday English, duplicity is dishonest behavior where someone pretends to be sincere but is actually lying or hiding their real intentions.
  • It often implies being “two-faced,” like acting friendly to someone while secretly working against them.

Nuances and examples

  • Formal definitions describe duplicity as a “contradictory doubleness” of thought, speech, or action, especially when deceptive words hide true intentions.
  • Example: A politician who promises reform in public but privately takes bribes is showing duplicity.

Legal sense

  • In law, “duplicity” can also mean including two or more distinct accusations or defenses in a single legal pleading, which can be technically incorrect.
  • This legal use is more specialized; in normal conversation, people almost always mean deceit or double-dealing.

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