dissimulations
Acts of deception
Dissimulations are acts of concealing one's true feelings, motives, or character behind a false appearance.
The word carries connotations of deliberate deception rather than mere privacy—someone engaged in dissimulation actively presents a misleading front.
His friendly manner was pure dissimulation; he despised everyone in the room.
The term appears most often in formal or literary contexts, where it suggests calculated duplicity rather than casual dishonesty.
Deceptive outward show
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- feigningPretending to feel something
- maskingConcealing by covering
- hidingStaying out of sight
camouflage · duplicity · falseness · disguise · misrepresentation · coverup · subterfuge · smokescreen
Biased information for influence
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- doublespeakDeliberately misleading language
- coverupsEfforts to suppress truth
- denialRefusal to accept reality
misinformation · disinformation · whitewashing · gaslighting · stonewalling · plausible deniability · redaction · classified
Courteous, respectful conduct
- tactSensitivity in speech
- diplomacyNegotiation between nations
- white liesMinor benevolent deceptions
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
discretion · face-saving · propriety · etiquette · formality · reserve · composure · poker face
Unconscious blocking of thoughts
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- compartmentalizationDivision into distinct sections
- rationalizationInventing acceptable motives afterward
self-deception · avoidance · defense mechanism · projection · sublimation · displacement · false self · personas
pretense
Deceptive outward show
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- feigningPretending to feel something
- maskingConcealing by covering
hiding · camouflage · duplicity · falseness · disguise · misrepresentation · coverup · subterfuge · smokescreen · facade
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- doublespeakDeliberately misleading language
- coverupsEfforts to suppress truth
denial · misinformation · disinformation · whitewashing · gaslighting · stonewalling · plausible deniability · redaction · classified · censorship
politeness
Courteous, respectful conduct
- tactSensitivity in speech
- diplomacyNegotiation between nations
- white liesMinor benevolent deceptions
courtesy · discretion · face-saving · propriety · etiquette · formality · reserve · composure · poker face · inscrutability
repression
Unconscious blocking of thoughts
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- compartmentalizationDivision into distinct sections
rationalization · self-deception · avoidance · defense mechanism · projection · sublimation · displacement · false self · personas · coping
dissimulationscandor
Unguarded truthfulness
honesty · truthfulness · sincerity · frankness · forthrightness
dissimulationsauthenticity
Quality of being genuine
genuineness · transparency · ingenuousness · guilelessness · artlessness