falsehood

[fawls-hood]

noun

1. a false statement; lie.

   Synonyms: story, fiction, invention, canard, falsification, prevarication, fabrication

2. something false; an untrue idea, belief, etc..

   The Nazis propagated the falsehood of racial superiority.

3. the act of lying or making false statements.

4. lack of conformity to truth or fact.

   Synonyms: mendacity, inveracity, untruthfulness

5. Obsolete.,  deception.

falsehood

/ ˈfɔːlsˌhʊd /

noun

1. the quality of being untrue

2. an untrue statement; lie

3. the act of deceiving or lying

Word History and Origins

Origin of falsehood¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English falsehead, falshede; false, -hood

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Once you’ve built your identity around a cause, however, it’s painful to admit that identity may be based on falsehoods.

Read more on 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.

Read more on BBC

Angelides added he feels there seems to be "a desire to perpetuate myths and falsehoods" around Maccabi Tel Aviv and its fans.

Read more on 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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The real cognitive toll, though, comes in the exhaustion the mind suffers in the constant rebuttal of falsehoods.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• cover-up 
• deceit 
• deception 
• dishonesty 
• distortion 
• fabrication 
• fakery 
• fallacy 
• falsity 
• misstatement www.thesaurus.com
• perjury 
• prevarication 
• sham 
• tall tale 
• untruth