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self-deception

[self-di-sep-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈsɛp ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /


NOUN
wishful thinking
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Though “American hegemony” offered some benefits—“open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security and support for frameworks for resolving disputes”—it also required collective self-deception.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 30, 2026

Fairy In A Bottle is a glorious bruise of a song, all about Alon's capacity for self-deception: "I want to worship you before the hope expires."

From BBC Sep. 10, 2025

To not see this for what it is can be attributed to being naïve and gullible, to self-deception by outright denial, or to being complicit.

From Salon Feb. 26, 2025

The way Madison leans into Ani’s audacity while revealing the fragile façade, the vulnerabilities and self-deception lurking underneath, is phenomenal.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 18, 2024

The urge to catalog the myriad blunders in order to “learn from the mistakes” is for the most part an exercise in denial and self-deception.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer




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