false

[fawls]

See more synonyms for false on Thesaurus.com

adjective, fals·er, fals·est.

not true or correct; erroneous: a false statement.
uttering or declaring what is untrue: a false witness.
not faithful or loyal; treacherous: a false friend.

tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive: a false impression.
not genuine; counterfeit.
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

dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously: Did he speak false against me?

Idioms

play someone false, to betray someone; be treacherous or faithless.

Origin of false

before 1000; Middle English, Old English fals < Latin falsus feigned, false, orig. past participle of fallere to deceive; reinforced by or reborrowed from Anglo-French, Old French fals, feminine false < Latin

Related formsfalse·ly, adverbfalse·ness, nounhalf-false, adjectivequa·si-false, adjectivequa·si-false·ly, adverb

Synonyms for false

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. mistaken, incorrect, wrong, untrue. 2. untruthful, lying, mendacious. 3. insincere, hypocritical, disingenuous, disloyal, unfaithful, inconstant, perfidious, traitorous. 4. misleading, fallacious. 5. artificial, spurious, bogus, forged. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for false

fake, untrue, distorted, mistaken, improper, erroneous, fanciful, untruthful, incorrect, deceitful, invalid, fictitious, bogus, misleading, faulty, inaccurate, spurious, phony, specious, unfounded

Examples from the Web for false

Contemporary Examples of false

He has contributed to a false picture of law enforcement based on isolated injustices.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem
Will Cain
December 30, 2014
And no issue should be defined by its outliers because it paints a false picture.
Bill de Blasio’s Tea Party Problem
Will Cain
December 30, 2014
He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF
Jason Berry
December 21, 2014
Once people with ID are arrested, they are particularly susceptible to making coerced and often false confessions.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities
Elizabeth Picciuto
December 16, 2014
He maintains a list of people with ID whom he believes were unjustly convicted after false confessions.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities
Elizabeth Picciuto
December 16, 2014

Historical Examples of false

It was not that she could not say "I have done no wickedness;" let us place this heroine in no false light.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
She could feel its false precision, its intention, its repulse of her.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
The happy man is he who knows his limitations, yet bows to no false gods.
Ballads of a Bohemian
Robert W. Service
Had her father forced her into the false position in which she found herself?
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
But Mammon was never the name of an idol or other form of false deity.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King

British Dictionary definitions for false

false

adjective

not in accordance with the truth or facts
irregular or invalida false start
untruthful or lyinga false account
not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fakefalse eyelashes
being or intended to be misleading or deceptivea false rumour
disloyal or treacherousa false friend
based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or factsfalse pride; a false argument
(prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specifiedfalse hellebore
serving to supplement or replace, often temporarilya false keel
music
1. (of a note, interval, etc) out of tune
2. (of the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth) decreased by a semitone
3. (of a cadence) interrupted or imperfect

adverb

in a false or dishonest manner (esp in the phrase play (someone) false)

Derived Formsfalsely, adverbfalseness, noun

Word Origin for false

Old English fals, from Latin falsus, from fallere to deceive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for false

adj.

late 12c., from Old French fals, faus (12c., Modern French faux) "false, fake, incorrect, mistaken, treacherous, deceitful," from Latin falsus "deceived, erroneous, mistaken," past participle of fallere "deceive, disappoint," of uncertain origin (see fail).

Adopted into other Germanic languages (cf. German falsch, Dutch valsch, Danish falsk), though English is the only one in which the active sense of "deceitful" (a secondary sense in Latin) has predominated. False alarm recorded from 1570s. Related: Falsely; falseness.

Idioms and Phrases with false

false

In addition to the idioms beginning with false

false alarm
false colors
false start
false step

also see:

lull into (false sense of security)
play false
ring false