Meaning & use

mendacity

noun·Advanced

The habit or quality of telling lies; a tendency toward dishonesty.

See it in a sentence

The reporter's investigation exposed years of mendacity within the company's leadership.

His mendacity finally caught up with him when two stories didn't match.

A note on using this word

Mendacity is a formal, somewhat literary word for lying, often used to criticize a pattern of behavior rather than a single lie.

Words with a similar meaning

dishonestydeceituntruthfulness

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

honestytruthfulness

Make it your own

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