false
Americanadjective
-
not true or correct; erroneous.
a false statement.
-
uttering or declaring what is untrue.
a false witness.
- Synonyms:
- mendacious, lying, untruthful
-
not faithful or loyal; treacherous.
a false friend.
- Synonyms:
- traitorous, perfidious, inconstant, unfaithful, disloyal, disingenuous, hypocritical, insincere
-
tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive.
a false impression.
- Synonyms:
- fallacious, misleading
-
not genuine; counterfeit.
- Synonyms:
- artificial, bogus, spurious, artificial
-
based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts.
false pride.
-
used as a substitute or supplement, especially temporarily.
false supports for a bridge.
-
Biology. having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name.
the false acacia.
-
not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted.
a false balance.
-
inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.
adverb
idioms
adjective
-
not in accordance with the truth or facts
-
irregular or invalid
a false start
-
untruthful or lying
a false account
-
not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fake
false eyelashes
-
being or intended to be misleading or deceptive
a false rumour
-
disloyal or treacherous
a false friend
-
based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or facts
false pride
a false argument
-
(prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specified
false hellebore
-
serving to supplement or replace, often temporarily
a false keel
-
music
-
(of a note, interval, etc) out of tune
-
(of the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth) decreased by a semitone
-
(of a cadence) interrupted or imperfect
-
adverb
Related Words
False, sham, counterfeit agree in referring to something that is not genuine. False is used mainly of imitations of concrete objects; it sometimes implies an intent to deceive: false teeth; false hair. Sham is rarely used of concrete objects and usually has the suggestion of intent to deceive: sham title; sham tears. Counterfeit always has the implication of cheating; it is used particularly of spurious imitation of coins, paper money, etc.
Other Word Forms
- falsely adverb
- falseness noun
- half-false adjective
- quasi-false adjective
- quasi-falsely adverb
Etymology
Origin of false
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English fals, from Latin falsus “feigned, false,” originally past participle of fallere “to deceive”; reinforced by or reborrowed from Anglo-French, Old French fals (feminine false ), from Latin
Explanation
Something that's false is wrong or untrue. If you spread false rumors about a friend, you're telling lies. When you read a fact in a textbook that you know is mistaken, you can describe it as false. Giving someone a false impression about your family's pizza place — implying that it's a fancy restaurant when it's really a take-out counter and a pizza oven — means you're giving the wrong idea. False can also mean "fake," as in false eyelashes or a false smile. It comes from the Old French fals, which is faux in Modern French: "false,fake, incorrect, or mistaken."
Vocabulary lists containing false
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But audit logs obtained by Buzzard-Quashie's lawyers showed the claims to be false - not only was there more footage, but it had been viewed or accessed on dozens of occasions.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
Singer described that project as “replete with false allegations” in his statement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
The law enforcement response is often prompted by a caller who reports a false violent crime at a home.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Peterson has another separate claim in court alleging juror misconduct in his murder trial, arguing that a juror provided false answers in a questionnaire.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
It would stay there until he moved it to the trunk: the false bottom was built to match the Mona Lisa’s measurements.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
