fake news

American  

[feyk nooz, nyooz] / ˈfeɪk ˈnuz, ˈnyuz /

noun

1. false news stories, often of a sensational nature, created to be widely shared or distributed for the purpose of generating revenue, or promoting or discrediting a public figure, political movement, company, etc..

   It’s impossible to avoid clickbait and fake news on social media.

2. a parody that presents current events or other news topics for humorous effect in an obviously satirical imitation of journalism.

   The website publishes fake news that is hilarious and surprisingly insightful.

3. Sometimes Facetious. (used as a conversational tactic to dispute or discredit information that is perceived as hostile or unflattering).

   The senator insisted that recent polls forecasting an election loss were just fake news.

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Usage

What is fake news? Fake news can refer to false new stories, often spread as misinformation or disinformation on social media. It has also come to refer any information that one finds critical about themselves or something themselves, a use popularized by President Donald Trump in 2016.

Etymology

Origin of fake news

First recorded in 1800–20 in the sense “false news, spurious news”; the current sense was first recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

She realises fake news has been around for hundreds of years.

From BBC

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said Wednesday that anyone who says he has thrown in the towel on his battle with Parkinson’s disease is spreading fake news.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Abd El Fattah was imprisoned in an Egyptian jail for more than a decade after being convicted of "spreading fake news" about torture in the country.

From BBC

Zelenskyy has denied the claims from Russia, calling it “fake news” and a “complete fabrication.”

From Salon

“Strikes on Putin’s Valdai residence are fake news; no one struck it,” he told reporters this week.

From Salon