half-truth
Americannoun
plural
half-truths-
a statement that is only partly true, especially one intended to deceive, evade blame, or the like.
-
a statement that fails to divulge the whole truth.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of half-truth
First recorded in 1650–60
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.
“Before he took the time to gather the facts, he painted a negative half-truth about our son and the unfolding case,” she said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2023
I think it’s worth exploring at what point a half-truth is more dangerous than a lie.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2022
And it’s also considered a misrepresentation to state a half-truth, leaving out vital information needed to place a statement in context.
From Slate • Jul. 23, 2021
Who among us hasn't engaged with a story that has no predictable ending, with a half-truth that, upon further examination, is more fiction than fact?
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2020
I need to give him something, so I tell him it’s my dad, which isn’t exactly a lie, more of a half-truth because it’s only one part of a much bigger picture.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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.
