To deceive someone is to make them believe something that is not true, usually on purpose.
It comes from Old French “decevoir,” from Latin “decipere,” meaning “to ensnare, cheat, mislead.” The root carries the image of trapping someone by tricking their mind.
Deception works by giving people just enough truth to hide the lie inside. The brain likes shortcuts, and deceivers exploit that—so learning to question appearances is a kind of mental self-defense.
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