polite fiction

English

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Noun

polite fiction (plural polite fictions)

1. (idiomatic) A social scenario in which all participants are aware of a truth, but pretend to believe in some alternative version of events to avoid conflict or embarrassment.

   Susan is only able to deal with the fact that her husband has sex with the man down the street through a polite fiction. She knows what her husband is really doing when he says he is going "to buy cigarettes".

See also

• denial
• elephant in the room