chicanery

/ʃi'kenəri/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
chicanery

A lawyer exposed the company's financial chicanery in court.

Definition

Noun: 1. Deception through trickery or sophistry: The use of clever but misleading arguments, underhanded tactics, or legal technicalities to deceive someone, often to gain an unfair advantage, avoid responsibility, or extract something of value.

Usage
  • Chicanery is an uncountable noun. It refers to the general practice or an instance of deceptive trickery.
  • It is a formal word, often used in contexts involving law, politics, or complex negotiations to describe dishonest and manipulative behavior.
  • It carries a strong negative connotation, implying cunning and a lack of integrity.
Examples
  • The contract was so full of legal chicanery that it was impossible to understand its true implications.
  • The election was marred by accusations of voter suppression and political chicanery.
  • He was a master of financial chicanery, using complex schemes to hide his losses.
Advanced Usage
  • "A piece of chicanery": This phrase is used to refer to a specific act or instance of trickery.
    • The so-called "administrative fee" was nothing but a piece of chicanery designed to extract more money from customers.
Variants and Related Words
  • Chicane (verb/noun): As a verb, it means to use chicanery; to deceive with tricks. As a noun, it is a less common synonym for chicanery or can refer to an artificial obstacle on a racecourse.
    • He chicaned his way out of the contract.
  • Chicaner (noun): A person who uses chicanery (rarely used).
Synonyms
  • Trickery: The practice of deception.
  • Deception: The act of causing someone to believe something that is not true.
  • Subterfuge: Deceit used to achieve one's goal.
  • Sophistry: The use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving.
  • Skulduggery: Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior.
Idioms and Phrases
  • "Legal chicanery": A common collocation referring specifically to the misuse of legal procedures or complex language to deceive.
    • The defense attorney accused the prosecution of legal chicanery in withholding evidence.
chicanery

A lawyer exposed the company's financial chicanery in court.

Noun
  1. the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)

Từ đồng nghĩa