falsehood
Americannoun
-
a false statement; lie.
- Synonyms:
- story , fiction , invention , canard , falsification , prevarication , fabrication
-
something false; an untrue idea, belief, etc..
The Nazis propagated the falsehood of racial superiority.
-
the act of lying or making false statements.
-
lack of conformity to truth or fact.
- Synonyms:
- mendacity , inveracity , untruthfulness
-
Obsolete. deception.
noun
-
the quality of being untrue
-
an untrue statement; lie
-
the act of deceiving or lying
Related Words
Falsehood, fib, lie, untruth refer to something untrue or incorrect. A falsehood is a statement that distorts or suppresses the truth, in order to deceive: to tell a falsehood about one's ancestry in order to gain acceptance. A fib denotes a trivial falsehood, and is often used to characterize that which is not strictly true: a polite fib. A lie is a vicious falsehood: to tell a lie about one's neighbor. An untruth is an incorrect statement, either intentionally misleading (less harsh, however, than falsehood or lie) or arising from misunderstanding or ignorance: I'm afraid you are telling an untruth.
Etymology
Origin of falsehood
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English falsehead, falshede; false, -hood
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.
Once you’ve built your identity around a cause, however, it’s painful to admit that identity may be based on falsehoods.
From Salon
The pop band Muna chastised some of their supporters for "spreading falsehoods about us and our loved ones for clout and attention"; while Doja Cat called out "creepy" behaviour from a section of her fanbase.
From BBC
Angelides added he feels there seems to be "a desire to perpetuate myths and falsehoods" around Maccabi Tel Aviv and its fans.
From BBC
In a 2005 speech, he called the Democrats who accused the administration of manipulating intelligence to justify the war “opportunists” who peddled “cynical and pernicious falsehoods” to gain political advantage.
From Los Angeles Times
The real cognitive toll, though, comes in the exhaustion the mind suffers in the constant rebuttal of falsehoods.
From Salon
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.
