duplicitous

[doo-plis-i-tuhs, dyoo-]

adjective

1. marked or characterized by duplicity.

Other Word Forms

• duplicitously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of duplicitous¹

First recorded in 1955–60; duplicit(y) + -ous

Example Sentences

Unlike the duplicitous characters it centers on, "Yellowjackets" introduced itself in its 2021 premiere as exactly what it is, a show about the worst.

From Salon

He countersued last week, claiming she had made a "duplicitous attempt to destroy" him.

From BBC

In the latest step in their bitter legal battle, lawyers for Baldoni, 40, has claimed Lively and her team made a "duplicitous attempt to destroy" him.

From BBC

Tory MPs have sometimes been said by some on their own side to be the "most duplicitous" of electorates.

From BBC

The heavily redacted document released by the government points to a variety of duplicitous activities taken by the CIA to hide the cause of AHIs.

From Salon

Related Words

• cheating www.thesaurus.com
• deceitful 
• dishonest 

When To Use

What does duplicitous mean?

Duplicitous is used to describe someone who intentionally misleads people, especially by saying different things to different people or acting in different ways at different times.The word can also describe the actions of such a person. A close synonym is deceitful. A more informal synonym is double-dealing (which can also be used as a noun).To be duplicitous is to engage in duplicity, which refers to the practice of misleading someone in this way, to the quality of a person who does this, or to an instance of such deception.People who are liars are duplicitous. The word is based on the idea of presenting two or more different versions of oneself or of a situation. Fittingly, duplicitous people are often accused of being two-faced or of “speaking out of both sides of their mouth.” This typically means that they say different things to different people (in other words, they lie) in order to serve their agenda.Less commonly, duplicitous can describe something that has two elements or parts. This sense of duplicitous does not have the same negative implication as the primary sense of the word.Example: I’ve never met someone more duplicitous—he says one thing and then turns around and says the complete opposite, barely trying to conceal the lie.