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

But what may be even more important is the assumption driving this particular falsehood, which is to lure people into a “debate” about whether any immigrants should ever get health care.

Read more on Salon

“Entire societies have been organized around falsehoods,” Herzog says on a Zoom call from his Los Angeles home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Whatever falsehoods they push, whatever easy answers they peddle, however willing they are to tear communities and families apart, they are not on the side of working people."

Read more on BBC

He says DHS is now spreading falsehoods against him for speaking out.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others," it said.

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Related Words

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