Meaning of Perfidy | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A state or act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust.
   countable, uncountable
2. An illegitimate act of deception, such as using symbols like the Red Cross or white flag in a false claim of surrender to gain proximity to an enemy for purposes of attack.
   countable, uncountable
3. A state or act of deceit.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Stratagems must be carefully distinguished strategy from perfidy, since the former are allowed, whereas the latter is prohibited.”

“Abuse of a protective emblem amounts to perfidy and constitutes a war crime under the customary law of armed conflict.”

“Ruses of war are legitimate so long as they do not involve⟳ treachery or perfidy on the part of the belligerent resorting to them.”

“Cyberattacks almost inevitably involve⟳ an element of deception, such as tricking a user to click on a malicious link⟳. So, to what extent could cyberattacks count⟳ as perfidy and therefore be illegal given international humanitarian law?”

“Germans could not get⟳ over the perfidy of it. It was unbelievable that the English, having degenerated to the stage⟳ where suffragettes heckled the Prime Minister and defied the police, were going to fight⟳.”

“Honda Motor Co. is the latest victim of e-mail perfidy, which started when a phony chain letter promised that the automaker would give⟳ away free cars.”

“Letterman roared about the perfidy of lying politicos.”

CEFR level