Lying for a good cause?

White lies.

No, “white lie” isn’t what I was looking for…
It’s a single word
I think it may begin with R (sorry if it doesn’t)

righteous lying?

Rationization?

Synonyms for WHITE LIES – Thesaurus.netwww.thesaurus.net › white lies

Synonyms for White lies:
n.
•pretexts (noun)
pleas, pretexts, stratagems, red herrings, excuses, reasons, alibis, smoke screens, loop-holes, claims, affirmations, pretenses, rationales, justifications.

White lie is not quite the right term. White lies are over relatively minor matters and often said to keep from hurting someone’s feelings. This is different. I can’t think of a single word term that means what the OP is referring to.

How about “Notlüge”, which is german for ‘emergency lie’.

Guys I appreciate your help but I don’t think the word has been found yet…
Like.. If you typed “define [that word]” in Google it would literally define as something like : withholding the truth in a critical life or death situation or for political reasons. (or at least something along those lines)

@komencents “If you typed ‘define [that word]’ in Google it would literally define as something like: withholding the truth in a critical life or death situation or for political reasons.”

Well, that’s a very different question from what you originally asked. Withholding the truth is not the same thing as lying, and withholding the truth for political reasons is not the same thing as lying for a good cause. Could you be thinking about “equivocate,” “prevaricate,” or even “tergiversate”?

Thank you but the tint of “one had to do this as their (or a thousand people’s) life(ves) depend on ones lying” is more of what I was looking for.
Not exactly “one not saying the truth”

Just to clarify. I’m talking about if a guy goes around the room and is asking “are you British” and everyone who said “yes” gets shot.
I decide to say “no” even though I am or to say “you’ve killed all the Brits, there are none left” to save any further potential harm.

What would that kind of response be described as a whole in a single word.
Because “lie” or “deceive” is a pretty high contrast choice of word for such a specific situation of being under duress

@komencents At this point, I think you might actually be looking for a phrase that describes the lie (e.g., “prosocial lie” or “officious lie”). Alternatively, someone may have used a word euphemistically (a synonym or some other word adjacent to “lie”), and you took it a bit too literally.