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Synonyms

untruth

American  
[uhn-trooth] / ʌnˈtruθ /

noun

  • untruths
    plural
  1. the state or character of being untrue.

  2. want of veracity; divergence from truth.

  3. something untrue; a falsehood or lie.

    Synonyms:
    invention, fabrication, tale, story, fiction
  4. Archaic. unfaithfulness; disloyalty.


untruth British  
/ ʌnˈtruːθ /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being untrue

  2. a statement, fact, etc, that is not true

"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

Synonym Usage

See falsehood.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of untruth

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English untrēowth: see un- 1, 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.

See Examples For:

Like some of her real-world counterparts, Madame M. is essentially a chief disinformation officer more interested in supplying untruth than decrying it.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 20, 2025

It follows that millions of applications have been filed over the years with some untruth inside, with the vast majority being approved.

From Slate Sep. 15, 2025

The crossbencher said, without that verification, "we're being asked to complicit in a present-day untruth and a future fantasy".

From BBC Apr. 22, 2024

The purpose is not to forward any one particular untruth, but to throw out so many conflicting and outrageous claims that people no longer know what to believe, or what they might do about it.

From Seattle Times Mar. 10, 2024

“One lie. What you said about your friend was an untruth, but that’s it. Who you are is not a lie.”

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

"This has convinced me to write down my own thoughts and memories, once and for all," he said, adding many opinions were "based on untruths that have become accepted over time".

From Barron's Aug. 19, 2026

“The untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history in your email paint a completely misleading narrative,” Shotwell told the Journal in a statement in 2024.

From MarketWatch Jun. 11, 2026

He interrupted Ms. Welker more than a dozen times, intimidatingly ignoring her questions, disavowing her right to direct the conversation, and shamelessly repeating lies and untruths.

From Salon Sep. 22, 2023

"I am here to do one thing and one thing only: to set the record straight and to call out some untruths."

From BBC Jul. 11, 2023

How would she know the truths from the untruths?

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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