dissimulate

The word dissimulate originates from the Latin dissimulare, meaning "to disguise, conceal, pretend to be different." This Latin verb is itself a compound of the prefix dis-, implying negation or reversal, and the root simulare, meaning "to make like, imitate, feign." The core root simil- (like, same) is ancient, traceable to Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning "one, together." Thus, the literal construction is "to make un-like" or "to reverse the act of making similar." Over time, this evolved from the broad sense of concealing or disguising one's nature to the specific modern psychological meaning of consciously hiding one's true feelings or intentions behind a feigned appearance.

Structure: dis (apart, away) + simul (like, same) + ate (verb suffix) dis: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "apart, asunder, away." In this context, it indicates a reversal or concealment of the state described by the root. simul: Latin origin, from the root similis meaning "like, same." It functions as the core root conveying the sense of likeness or pretense. ate: Latin origin, a verb-forming suffix used to create verbs from nouns or adjectives, indicating "to make or become."