noun
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the state of being false or untrue
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something false; a lie or deception
Etymology
Origin of falsity
1225–75; Middle English falsete < Anglo-French < Late Latin falsitās. See false, -ity
Explanation
A falsity is either a straight-up lie or the fact that something isn’t true. If you fake cry to try and get out of trouble, the falsity of your emotions will get you busted. Falsity is a word for statements that are false in the sense of being incorrect, untrue, or even dishonest. If you tell a lie, you've told a falsity, which can also be called an untruth or falsehood. Also, falsity can mean the general state of falseness. Con men and other liars often operate in falsity. A spy must use falsity to fool people. The opposite of falsity — or falseness — is truth.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Jones prepared to ask Vance whether he would have done anything differently after learning about the falsity of the claims he spread worldwide, a man in the crowd yelled at her to “shut up.”
From Slate • Oct. 1, 2024
Citing Abdul’s “positive feelings” toward Lythgoe, the attorneys included copies of “adoring messages and comments” made in text messages and social media posts that “underscore the frivolousness and falsity of her suit.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024
All of that falsity fades away under the bright lights, which crave that sort of manicured behavior.
From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2024
Irving is serving as a counsel to a witness the Justice Department said "has information demonstrating the falsity of statements De Oliveira has made to the government."
From Salon • Sep. 26, 2023
Ultimately, at five minutes past three that afternoon, Smith admitted the falsity of the Fort Scott tale.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
