false

[fawls]

adjective

falser, falsest 

1. not true or correct; erroneous.

   a false statement.

   Synonyms: untrue, wrong, incorrect, mistaken

2. uttering or declaring what is untrue.

   a false witness.

   Synonyms: mendacious, lying, untruthful

3. not faithful or loyal; treacherous.

   a false friend.

   Synonyms: traitorous, perfidious, inconstant, unfaithful, disloyal, disingenuous, hypocritical, insincere

4. tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive.

   a false impression.

   Synonyms: fallacious, misleading

5. not genuine; counterfeit.

   Synonyms: artificial, bogus, spurious, artificial

6. based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts.

   false pride.

7. used as a substitute or supplement, especially temporarily.

   false supports for a bridge.

8. Biology.,  having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name.

   the false acacia.

9. not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted.

   a false balance.

10. inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.

adverb

1. dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously.

   Did he speak false against me?

false

/ fɔːls /

adjective

1. not in accordance with the truth or facts

2. irregular or invalid

   a false start

3. untruthful or lying

   a false account

4. not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fake

   false eyelashes

5. being or intended to be misleading or deceptive

   a false rumour

6. disloyal or treacherous

   a false friend

7. based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or facts

   false pride

   a false argument

8. (prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specified

   false hellebore

9. serving to supplement or replace, often temporarily

   a false keel

10. 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

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

Other Word Forms

• falsely adverb
• falseness noun
• half-false adjective
• quasi-false adjective
• quasi-falsely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of false¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of false¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing false

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

His “crime” is allegedly giving false testimony as part of the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

From Salon

When contacted by The Times, Alexandrovna denied giving false information to would-be recruits but did not answer detailed questions about Hammad.

From Los Angeles Times

The Defamation Act protects individuals from false statements that damage their reputation, while the Representation of the People Act sets strict rules on false claims during election campaigns.

From BBC

He rejected claims of the app harming immigration agents as “patently false.”

From Salon

The app's creator said such claims were "patently false" and accused Apple of "capitulating to an authoritarian regime."

From BBC

Related Words

• bogus 
• deceitful 
• dishonest 
• distorted 
• erroneous 
• fake 
• fanciful 
• faulty 
• fictitious 
• fraudulent 
• improper 
• inaccurate 
• incorrect 
• invalid 
• misleading 
• mistaken 
• phony 
• specious 
• spurious 
• unfounded