Prevarications

Prevarications refer to the act of speaking or behaving in a way that deliberately avoids the truth; a deviation from truth or frankness. It involves making deliberately misleading statements or evasive answers to conceal the truth or to mislead. This can range from small, insignificant lies to more serious distortions of facts. The intention is often to deceive, avoid accountability, or manipulate a situation for personal gain or to protect someone or something. The term emphasizes a lack of straightforwardness and a deliberate intention to be dishonest in one's communication. It suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid giving a direct or honest answer or statement.

Prevarications meaning with examples

• The politician's carefully crafted responses to the media were filled with prevarications, skillfully avoiding direct answers to crucial questions about campaign finances. His attempts at deflection and obfuscation led to public distrust. Despite the pressure, he maintained his practiced art of prevarication, expertly evading any potentially damaging admissions, and continued his evasive tactics.
• During the investigation, the witness offered a series of prevarications, changing their story multiple times and providing vague and contradictory details. The investigators found it difficult to ascertain the truth because the witness's testimony was consistently riddled with attempts to mislead, and they continuously struggled to elicit a truthful account.
• The defendant's lawyer accused the prosecution of prevarications, claiming they were misrepresenting evidence and presenting a distorted version of the events. The defense highlighted instances of subtle manipulations of facts, implying an intent to sway the jury by omitting crucial information or crafting half-truths to support their case to the court.
• Caught in a web of prevarications, the employee tried to cover up their mistakes, providing elaborate and implausible excuses. The supervisor was able to detect the deliberate attempts to distort the truth. They discovered multiple inconsistencies within the employee’s account, exposing the extent of their dishonesty, and a subsequent investigation was launched.