mendacity

noun

men-ˈda-sə-tē How to pronounce mendacity (audio)
Definition of mendacitynext
1
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive highly fictionalized "memoirs" in which the facts were few and the mendacities many

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2
as in deceit
the tendency to tell lies you need to overcome this deplorable mendacity, or no one will ever believe anything you say

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mendacity The answer from liberal institutions revealed to be complicit in large-scale violence and mendacity should still be a firm no. — Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 But widespread disgust with the mayor’s mendacity and the connivance of eight City Council members is changing the political landscape. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025 Viewed from an especially merciless or purgatorial angle, certain strands of my life are little more than histories of lo-fi mendacity. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025 But one finishes this family saga more fully understanding why, for Xi Jinping, opacity and mendacity became the best guarantors of survival. — Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mendacity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mendacity
  1. lie
  2. deceit
  3. tale
  4. deceitfulness
  5. story
Noun
  • Another way to hold accountable those spreading lies online is to sue them.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Undoubtedly, a stack of crazy, low-IQ and weird lies will follow.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • The best way Ray can think of to do so is to tail her shady husband, Dom (Bobby Cannavale) — all the way into a sordid (but still vaguely family-friendly) web of deceit, murder, blackmail and gangland drama.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • Then on Wednesday morning, Luna reunited with her owners thanks to the efforts of local rescuers, tourists and park employees, capping a survival tale that required avoiding bears and coyotes while locating enough sustenance and shelter.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That level of control precluded a Vatican media operation from spinning tall tales as occurred during John Paul's reign.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of tale
Noun
  • Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceitfulness
Noun
  • After the boutique’s statement, Clarkson doubled down on her claims on her Instagram stories with photos featuring a price tag on the bird that contradicted the shop’s first statement.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some economists, including researchers at the Minneapolis Fed, argue the data don’t tell such a clean story.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of story

Browse Nearby Words

mendacities
mendacity
mended
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Cite this Entry

“Mendacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mendacity. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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