Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To disguise or conceal one's real nature, motives, or feelings behind a false appearance.
  • intransitive verb To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. synonym: disguise.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make unlike; cause to look different; disguise.
  • To give a false impression about; cause to seem different or non-existent; mask under a false pretense or deceptive manner.
  • To put on the semblance of; simulate; pretend.
  • To assume the appearance of; appear like; imitate.
  • Synonyms Dissemble, Simulate, Dissimulate Disguise, cloak, cover. (See hide.) To dissemble is to pretend that a thing which is is not: as, to dissemble one's real sentiments. To simulate is to pretend that a thing which is not is: as, to simulate friendship. To dissimulate is to hide the reality or truth of something under a diverse or contrary appearance: as, to dissimulate one's poverty by ostentation. To disguise is to put under a false guise, to keep a thing from being recognized by giving it a false appearance: as, I cannot disguise from myself the fact. See dissembler and conceal.
  • To give a false appearance; make a deceptive impression or presentation.
  • To assume a false seeming; conceal the real fact, motives, intention, or sentiments under some pretense; mask the truth about one's self.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To conceal the real fact, motives, intention, or sentiments, under some pretense; to assume a false appearance; to act the hypocrite.
  • transitive verb To hide under a false semblance or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an untrue appearance upon; to disguise; to mask.
  • transitive verb To put on the semblance of; to make pretense of; to simulate; to feign.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To disguise or conceal something; to feign.
  • verb transitive To deliberately ignore something; to pretend not to notice.
  • verb intransitive To falsely hide one's opinions or feelings.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb behave unnaturally or affectedly
  • verb make believe with the intent to deceive
  • verb hide under a false appearance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English dissemblen, from Old French dessembler, to be different : des-, dis- + sembler, to appear, seem; see semblable.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin dissimulare.

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Examples

  • I really enjoy it, I like doing it, I like composing music that I can kind of dissemble and say “what are different ways of telling the same musical story but making the middle something that is sorta indeterminate.”

    Archive 2008-12-01 Ben Abraham 2008

  • I really enjoy it, I like doing it, I like composing music that I can kind of dissemble and say “what are different ways of telling the same musical story but making the middle something that is sorta indeterminate.”

    Marty O'Donnell in Interview - Part 2 Ben Abraham 2008

  • Use the word, "dissemble" or "disingenuous," if you will, but let's call it what it really is.

    Tom D'Antoni: Sen. Clinton's Own Religious Cult Includes Brownback, Santorum 2008

  • Waaa-al I dunno, Kerry seems to have read a few books and done some thinking since graduation, Bush on the other hand scowls petulantly and cannot use the word "dissemble" correctly in a sentence - a challenge that my eleven year old niece would sneer at.

    The Chimes at Midnight 2005

  • STEWART: Actually, Mr. President, "dissemble" means to not tell the truth.

    CNN Transcript Jun 3, 2005 2005

  • Giles Fraser decides to not listen and instead assert (or might we be controvesial and say "dissemble") that the Pope has condemned gay

    An Exercise in the Fundamentals of Orthodoxy 2009

  • But please: can't ever say they lied (the approved usage is "dissemble"), and for Chrissake, don't even think impeachment or criminal proceedings.

    WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 2009

  • Look, everyone knows that presidents care who succeeds them in the Senate, even if they kind of dissemble a little bit or don't tell the whole story? "

    Giving Us the Business 2010

  • It is not surprising to hear the Bachmann's dissemble.

    Wayne Besen: Leading GOP Candidates Run Away From the Gay Wayne Besen 2011

  • By 2009, he certainly knew better, but so invested was he in the story, and so useful had it been in his rise, that he continued to dissemble, even before millions of schoolchildren.

    Deconstructing Obama Jack Cashill 2011

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