falsehood

American  

[fawls-hood] / ˈfɔls hʊd /

noun

• falsehoods
  plural

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.

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falsehood British  

/ ˈfɔːlsˌhʊd /

noun

1. the quality of being untrue

2. an untrue statement; lie

3. the act of deceiving or lying

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• falsehoods
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of falsehood

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

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Explanation

A falsehood is a lie. If your mom has an uncanny knack for knowing when you're telling a falsehood, it means she always knows when you're stretching the truth. The noun falsehood is a slightly fancy or old-fashioned way of saying "lie." It's hard to ever completely trust a friend again once he's told you a falsehood, although sometimes people tell small falsehoods simply to make others feel better. Telling your aunt her pink hair looks fine is a small falsehood, while lying about your grades on a college application is a pretty big falsehood. The Latin root is falsus, "deceived or erroneous."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

falsehood falsehoods

Paz told 404 Media that company management had assured him they weren’t feeding information to agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a falsehood he passed on to city governments in his sales pitch.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Rather than respond to every claim, Logan says his office picks its battles, intervening only when a falsehood appears likely to reach a wide audience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

One reason we need freedom is that the government can as easily outlaw truth as falsehood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

"Anyone with a big social media following has a potential profit-taking opportunity if they spread the right falsehood at the right time."

From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026

That he should never have been able to indulge so amiable a feeling before, passed suspiciously through Emma’s brain; but still, if it were a falsehood, it was a pleasant one, and pleasantly handled.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Generative AI systems are known for their ability to "hallucinate" and assert falsehoods as fact, even sometimes invent sources for inaccurate information.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

But investors can sue over “material” falsehoods and omissions, and they often do.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

But voice notes broadcast over WhatsApp add a new dimension to the problem, supercharging rumors and falsehoods and spreading them to people who might not competently read or write, if they are literate at all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Knowing someone — or of someone — who is gay or lesbian has long tended to dispel falsehoods and quell fears that might exist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

“The work of Military Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Atomic Energy Commission—all, at one time or another have felt the effect of his falsehoods, evasions, and misrepresentations,” Strauss wrote.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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Related Words

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

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