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
Etymology
Origin of spurious
1590–1600; < Latin spurius bastard, perhaps < Etruscan; see -ous
Compare meaning
How does spurious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Something false or inauthentic is spurious. Don't trust spurious ideas and stories. Spurious statements often are lies, just as a spurious coin is a counterfeit coin — a fake. Anytime you see the word spurious, you're dealing with things that can't be trusted or accepted at face value. A spurious claim is one that's not backed up by the facts. A spurious argument relies on faulty reasoning — and maybe some lies. Politicians often accuse each other of saying things that are spurious and meant to deceive the voters. As long as you're honest, clear, and not trying to trick anyone, nobody can say you're being spurious.
Vocabulary lists containing spurious
100 Top "SAT" Words
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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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.
Its title suggests the regime is moving toward national reconciliation by extinguishing the spurious records it created of crimes it claims its opponents committed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
There are fears of spurious medicines flooding the market.
From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025
It’s not a spurious conclusion: Census data shows that the percentage of women aged 30–44 with no children is higher than it’s been since 1960.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2025
To argue otherwise, and to forgo it at this moment in particular, involves the denial of some pressing risks and the exaggeration of spurious others.
From Slate • Dec. 4, 2024
Milo nodded with spurious vim to indicate he still understood and then sat silent, ruminating gravely with troubled misgiving.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
