thumb|The fictional character Pinocchio is a common depiction of a liar. A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the intention of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be interpreted as deliberately false statements or misleading statements, though not all statements that are literally false are considered lies – metaphors, hyperboles, and other figurative rhetoric are not intended to mislead, while lies are explicitly meant for literal interpretation by
AI overview
A lie is a statement someone believes to be false and typically makes with the intention of deceiving or misleading others. Lies matter because they involve deliberately false communication meant to trick people, distinguishing them from other types of non-literal speech like metaphors or exaggeration that aren't intended to deceive.
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Article
19 sectionsContents
- Types and associated terms
- Capacity to lie
- When people lie
- Consequences
- Detection
- Ethics
- Great apes and mother birds
- Cultural references
- Religious perspectives
- In the Bible
- Augustine's taxonomy
- In Buddhism
- In Norse paganism
- In Zoroastrianism
- See also
- Citations
- General and cited sources
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|The fictional character Pinocchio is a common depiction of a liar. A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the intention of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be interpreted as deliberately false statements or misleading statements, though not all statements that are literally false are considered lies – metaphors, hyperboles, and other figurative rhetoric are not intended to mislead, while lies are explicitly meant for literal interpretation by their audience. Lies may also serve a variety of instrumental, interpersonal, or psychological functions for the individuals who use them.
Generally, the term "lie" carries a negative connotation, and depending on the context a person who communicates a lie may be subject to social, legal, religious, or criminal sanctions; for instance, perjury, or the act of lying under oath, can result in criminal and civil charges being pressed against the perjurer.