Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Subterfuge
noun
/ SUB-ter-fyooj /
Hard
Meaning
Deceit used to achieve one's goal; a trick or scheme employed to conceal something or to avoid a difficult situation
Origin / Etymology
Latin subterfugere (to flee secretly) — subter (beneath, secretly) + fugere (to flee)
Synonyms
Deception
Trickery
Stratagem
Ruse
Duplicity
Antonyms
Transparency
Candour
Openness
Honesty
Example Sentence
"The opposition alleged that the government used subterfuge to bypass parliamentary scrutiny by routing the policy change through an executive order rather than legislation."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Useful in GS2 (governance, transparency) and GS4 (Ethics — probity in public life). Use to critique opacity in decision-making, electoral malpractice, or covert state action. Related concept: 'constitutional subterfuge' — using legal procedures to achieve unconstitutional ends.
Relevant Subjects
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