Chicanery
/ʃɪˈkeɪ.nər.i/noun
The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.
Did you know?The word 'chicanery' has roots in a term used to describe the trickery of a legal practitioner, connecting it to the art of deception in high-stakes situations.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
French
chicanerie
“Legal trickery or quibbling.”
14th Century
Old French
chicaner
“To quibble or dispute.”
12th Century
Old French
chic
“A trick or a device.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰei̯-
“To be strong, to be lively, indicating a sense of cleverness or agility.”