What is the Meaning of Subterfuge?

Overview:

Let’s look at in this post the meaning of subterfuge and its related information.

Subterfuge is a fascinating word and has been in practice since time immemorial. From personal relationships to the military to politics and literature, it has been used across the board.

A very popular example of subterfuge would be Shakespeare’s play “Othello,” where Iago uses deception to turn Othello against his wife.

Another interesting example is the case of the Trojan horse, which was used by the Greeks to enter Troy and win the Trojan War. A wooden horse was built where the Greek soldiers, including Odysseus, went into hiding inside the horse. The Trojans thought the war had come to an end and pulled the horse into Troy as a victory symbol.

However, later, the soldiers broke open the horse and attacked Troy along with other soldiers, thus ending the Trojan War, which was won mainly by deceit. This is why the Trojan Horse is still associated with tricking foes and winning them over with dishonest methods.

In the present-day world, closer to home, South Indian politics has reached a crescendo with several political campaigns that are full of subterfuge.

 

Meaning:

Using deceit and dishonesty to achieve one’s goal, evade an issue, or escape a situation.

Examples:

1. They resorted to clever subterfuge to sneak the baby into the house without anyone noticing.
2. Her boss resorted to subterfuge to enjoy his vacation without being on call.
3. He had no other option but to use subterfuge to access the ICU.
4. We were told that the army used quite a bit of subterfuge during World War II.
5. The interrogation ended successfully with the confession when the detective used subterfuge to extract information.

To read more examples of how to use subterfuge in a sentence, click here

Etymology:

Both word and meaning are borrowed from the Late Latin subterfugium.

That word contains the Latin prefix subter-, meaning “secretly,” which derives from the adverb subter, meaning “underneath.”

The -fuge portion comes from the Latin verb fugere, which means “to flee” and is also the source of words such as fugitive and refuge, among others.

Source: Merriam-Webster

Grammar:

• Countable Noun
• Plural: Subterfuges

Antonyms:

1. Straightforward
2. Honest
3. Integrity
4. Frank
5. Sincere

Synonyms:

1. Deception
2. Ploy
3. Hoax
4. Fraud
5. Trick

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