What is the Latin word for deceive?

The usual Latin words for “deceive” are fraudō, fallō, dēcipiō; also indūcō, dēlūdō, frūstror. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“deceive” in Latin

fraudōto cheat, defraud, swindle; to deprive of; to embezzle a thing from a person, purloin, steal fallōto deceive, beguile, trick, cheat, delude, ensnare, disappoint; to mistake, be mistaken, deceive oneself; to escape the dēcipiōto catch, ensnare, entrap, deceive, mislead, beguile, elude, cheat indūcōto lead, bring or conduct in or into somewhere; to bring forward, exhibit, represent; to bring into or before a court dēlūdōto deceive or dupe; to mock frūstrorto disappoint, frustrate, defraud, cheat, deceive with false hopes; to escape, elude; to baffle, evade dēstituōto fix or set in position; to place; to leave alone, forsake, abandon or desert; to delude, deceive, cheat mentiorto lie, cheat, deceive; to pretend, feign circumscrībōto draw a line around, enclose in a circle, circumscribe; to enclose, limit, bound, restrain, hem in; to abate, subside fallāciadeception, deceit

The English word deceive itself goes back to Latin capiō, through dēcipiō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

deceive

fraudare (verb, PROP.): fallere (also with fraude; to make anybody take falsehood for truth without being aware of it, socios induxit, decepit, destituit, omni fraude et perfidia fefellit, Cic.): decipere (to outwit by a suddenly executed plot [Döderlein]: to deceive by false appearances, and take advantage of anybody’s folly, or want of caution): in errorem inducere, or inducere only (to lead into error by deceitful counsel; to take in; Vid: fallere above): deludere (to play upon anybody’s credulity): imponere alicui aliquid, or merely imponere alicui (under the pretext of giving information): verba dare alicui (to pass words for current coin): frustrari (to deceive by false hopes; to deceive one’s expectation): destituere (to leave in the lurch): mentiri (figuratively of things; e.g., frons, oculi, vultus mentiuntur): circumscribere (ensnare): fallaciam or fraudem alicui facere; dolum alicui nectere or confingere (play him a trick; practice deceit against him): circumvenire (litterally, “come round a man;” take him in by an artfully laid plot): fraude or dolo capere, eludere (get a fraudulent advantage over him): alicui fucum facere (to throw dust in his eyes): circumducere (in comedy; to lead by the nose): to deceive his creditors, fraudare creditores: to try to deceive anybody, fraude aliquem tentare; fallaciam intendere in aliquem: it was this that deceived me, hoc mihi fraudi fuit: to deceive anybody’s expectation, spem alicujus fallere, or destituere; exspectationem alicujus decipere: my eyes have deceived me, visus (me) frustratus est: I am deceived, me fallo; fallor; animus me fallit: I am much deceived, vehementer erro: I am deceived in anything, aliquid me fallit: I am deceived in my expectation, a spe destituor; spes me fallit, destituit, or frustratur: being deceived in this expectation, hac spe lapsus (Caes.): unless I am deceived, nisi quid me fefellerit; nisi fallor: I am completely deceived, if, etc., omnia me fallunt, nisi, etc.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for deceive?: The usual Latin words for “deceive” are fraudō, fallō, dēcipiō; also indūcō, dēlūdō, frūstror. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.