disingenuous

adjective dis·in·gen·u·ous \ˌdis-in-ˈjen-yə-wəs, -yü-əs-\

: not truly honest or sincere : giving the false appearance of being honest or sincere

Full Definition of DISINGENUOUS

: lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : calculating

— dis·in·gen·u·ous·ly adverb

— dis·in·gen·u·ous·ness noun

See disingenuous defined for English-language learners

“It's had nine murders since 1937—about the same as you would get in many small towns.“ This was correct, but a wee disingenuous. The AT [Appalachian Trail] had no murders in its first thirty-six years and nine in the past twenty-two. —Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods, 1999
… and he egged Badger on, asking a disingenuous question about the antivivisection rally in Cleveland, and as Badger took the thought up and chewed it over, the Doctor made as if to excuse himself. —T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
… he has a disingenuous way of resorting to slang when he wants to make a big point but is afraid of sounding pretentious. —Karen Schoemer, New York Times Book Review, 31 Oct. 1993
Unity is at best an ideal, at worst a disingenuous political slogan. —Salman Rushdie, The Independent on Sunday, 25 Nov. 1990
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