deshoneste

Deshoneste is a term that appears in Portuguese as an archaic or nonstandard form related to the adjective desonesto, which means dishonest. In modern standard Portuguese, the usual forms are desonesto for masculine nouns or subjects and desonesta for feminine ones. Deshoneste is seldom used in contemporary writing and is typically found only in older texts, regional dialects, or stylistic passages where authors imitate historical spellings.

Etymology and meaning: the word is built from the prefix des- (a negation) attached to the root honest/o, which derives from Latin honestus. The resulting sense retains the core idea of lacking honesty or integrity, aligning with related terms like desonesto and desonestidade.

Usage notes: because deshoneste is not part of standard contemporary usage, it is generally best avoided in formal writing. When referring to dishonesty in modern Portuguese, desonesto/desonesta (and the noun desonestidade) are preferred. The adverbial form is desonestamente.

Related terms: honestidade (the quality of being honest), desonestidade (dishonesty), desonesto/desonesta (dishonest in gendered agreement). In context, desoneste may be encountered in historical or literary texts that preserve older orthographic forms or in discussions about language variation.

See also: Honestidade, Desonestidade, Desonesto, Desonesta.