undeceive v.

prefix of reversal, deprivation, or removal (as in unhand, undo, unbutton), Old English on-, un-, from Proto-Germanic *andi- (source also of Old Saxon ant-, Old Norse and-, Dutch ont-, Old High German ant-, German ent-, Gothic and- "against"), from PIE *anti "facing opposite, near, in front of, before, against" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before").

More or less confused with un- (1) through similarity in the notions of "negation" and "reversal;" an adjective such as unlocked might represent "not locked" (un- (1)) or the past tense of unlock (un- (2)).

"mislead by false appearance or statement," c. 1300, from Old French decevoir "to deceive" (12c., Modern French décevoir), from Latin decipere "to ensnare, take in, beguile, cheat," from de "from" or pejorative (see de-) + combining form of capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Related: Deceived; deceiver; deceiving.

c. 1400, "reliable, accurate, certain," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of deceive (v.). Sense of "freed from deception or false belief" is by 1590s, from undeceive (v.).