deceive
Meaning
To make someone believe something that is not true, especially for a dishonest purpose.
Structure
Usage
He tried to deceive the public about the company's financial troubles.
Appearances can often deceive.
She was deceived by his charming manner into trusting him completely.
Etymology
The word 'deceive' originates from the Old French deceivre, which itself derives from the Latin decipere, meaning 'to ensnare, take in, cheat'. This Latin verb is a compound of the prefix de- ('from, away') and the verb capere ('to take'). The literal sense is 'to take away' or 'to take from', which evolved into the figurative meaning of taking someone away from the truth or leading them astray. This semantic shift from a physical 'taking' to an abstract 'misleading' illustrates how the concept of seizing or capturing was metaphorically applied to the act of beguiling the mind.
Analysis
de- (Latin prefix meaning 'away, off, from'); -ceive (from Latin verb capere, meaning 'to take, seize, hold').