PsychologySeptember 4, 2026

swindles

SWIN-dulz

Definition

Acts or instances of cheating or defrauding someone of money or property.

Etymology

The word originated in the mid-18th century as a back-formation from the German 'Schwindler', meaning a dizzy person or a cheat. It evolved to describe a dishonest scheme or act of swindling.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe the history of deceitful financial behavior engaged in by Charles Guiteau, contrasting his criminal lifestyle with that of John Wilkes Booth.

Using collateral sources and the PCL-R to assess psychopathy.

Read the full article ↗

Psychology Today

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