Legal Definitions - deceit

Deceit is when someone lies or withholds important information to trick or mislead another person. It is often associated with the legal concept of fraud.

For example, in New Jersey, deceit is defined as lying about something that has financial significance. Exaggerating or making statements that are unlikely to deceive most people is not considered deceit. In California, deceit is defined as suggesting or asserting something that is not true, suppressing important information, or making a promise without intending to keep it.

One example of deceit could be a car salesman who tells a customer that a used car has never been in an accident when it actually has. Another example could be a landlord who promises to fix a leaky roof but has no intention of doing so.

These examples illustrate how deceit involves intentionally misleading someone for personal gain or to avoid negative consequences.