spurious
not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.
Biology. (of two or more parts, plants, etc.) having a similar appearance but a different structure.
of illegitimate birth; bastard.
Origin of spurious
1Other words for spurious
Opposites for spurious
Other words from spurious
- spu·ri·ous·ly, adverb
- spu·ri·ous·ness, noun
- non·spu·ri·ous, adjective
- non·spu·ri·ous·ly, adverb
- non·spu·ri·ous·ness, noun
- un·spu·ri·ous, adjective
- un·spu·ri·ous·ly, adverb
- un·spu·ri·ous·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spurious in a sentence
His henchmen at the state level sought to block their use, while his lawyers brought dozens of spurious suits to make it more difficult to vote–an intensification of the GOP’s legacy of suppressive tactics.
The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election | Molly Ball | February 4, 2021 | TimeHe and his Republican allies have made spurious allegations of voter fraud and pressured state and local officials to throw away Democratic ballots and appoint alternative slates of electors.
Mob violence at the Capitol underscores risks of lengthy presidential transitions | Christopher Ingraham | January 7, 2021 | Washington PostIn short, by focusing on spurious technological problems, we are ignoring very real legal and social ones.
Technology can help us feed the world, if we look beyond profit | Katie McLean | December 18, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewCharles was determinedly "sincere" throughout the brief call, continuously and spuriously hearty.
Angela's Business | Henry Sydnor HarrisonShe admitted that clandestine and spuriously accidental meetings were wrong.
Double Harness | Anthony Hope
Capsule not lobed, mostly 5-valved, spuriously 10-celled, 10-seeded.
He turned the pages of Country Life and became spuriously interested in the picture of a Mongolian pheasant.
Beasts and Super-Beasts | SakiTheir ideas of position and privilege were all spuriously European.
The High Heart | Basil King
British Dictionary definitions for spurious
/ (ˈspjʊərɪəs) /
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
Origin of spurious
1Derived forms of spurious
- spuriously, adverb
- spuriousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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