spurious
Americanadjective
-
not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.
- Antonyms:
- genuine
-
Biology. (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure.
-
of illegitimate birth; bastard.
adjective
-
not genuine or real
-
(of a plant part or organ) having the appearance of another part but differing from it in origin, development, or function; false
a spurious fruit
-
(of radiation) produced at an undesired frequency by a transmitter, causing interference, etc
-
rare illegitimate
Other Word Forms
- nonspurious adjective
- nonspuriously adverb
- nonspuriousness noun
- spuriously adverb
- spuriousness noun
- unspurious adjective
- unspuriously adverb
- unspuriousness noun
Etymology
Origin of spurious
1590–1600; < Latin spurius bastard, perhaps < Etruscan; -ous
Compare meaning
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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.
A spokesperson for Onset said the creditor committee’s claims are “unsupported and baseless and strategically made as part of a spurious scorched-earth litigation tactic to serve their own financial interests in this bankruptcy.”
Many politicians and government employees learned from The Times that they had been targeted with spurious filings.
From Los Angeles Times
Some security experts described the justification as spurious and nonsensical and said offshore wind is key to ensuring grid reliability and meeting broader U.S. energy goals.
From Los Angeles Times
The Home Office said it was "reviewing the law to end spurious legal challenges which delay deportations".
From BBC
There are fears of spurious medicines flooding the market.
From BBC
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.
