conceive (verb) to think of or form an idea of something

• Sample Sentence: Once someone conceives of you as a liar, you may lose their trust forever.

• Turn and Talk: Can you conceive of a situation where it would definitely be better to lie than to tell the truth?

unethical (adjective) incorrect by moral standards

• Sample Sentence: Children are often taught that lying is highly unethical.

• Turn and Talk: Is it unethical to lie about information that might hurt a friend’s feelings?

benefit (verb) to help; to receive a good result

• Sample Sentence: Sometimes people lie to benefit themselves. 

• Turn and Talk: What can middle school students do to benefit the community?

*benefit (noun) a good result; an advantage

• Sample Sentence: Many doctors tell their patients about the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet.

• Turn and Talk: What are some of the benefits of bilingualism? 

detect (verb) to discover or identify

• Sample Sentence: Research shows that about half of lies are not detected.

• Turn and Talk: What strategies do you use to detect a lie? 

rationalize (verb) to explain or justify

• Sample Sentence: Some lies are rationalized as polite and helpful for protecting relationships.

• Turn and Talk: How can someone rationalize spending a whole paycheck on a popular brand of shoes?

*alternate part of speech