de·cep·tion 
/dɪˈsɛpʃən/ noun
plural de·cep·tions /dɪˈsɛpʃən/ noun 1 [noncount] : the act of making someone believe something that is not true : the act of deceiving someone
▪ She accuses the company of willful deception in its advertising. ▪ The article describes the government's use of deception [=deceit] to gain public support for the program. ▪ She practiced deception on her unsuspecting clients. [=she deceived them] 2 [count] : an act or statement intended to make people believe something that is not true
▪ His many deceptions did not become known until years after he died. ▪ It was a misunderstanding on her part, not a deliberate deception on his (part). [=he didn't try to deceive her or lie to her] ▪ a clever deception [=trick] — see also self-deception
▪ She accuses the company of willful deception in its advertising. ▪ The article describes the government's use of deception [=deceit] to gain public support for the program. ▪ She practiced deception on her unsuspecting clients. [=she deceived them]
▪ His many deceptions did not become known until years after he died. ▪ It was a misunderstanding on her part, not a deliberate deception on his (part). [=he didn't try to deceive her or lie to her] ▪ a clever deception [=trick] — see also self-deception
