fake news

[feyk nooz, nyooz]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

false news stories, often of a sensational nature, created to be widely shared or distributed for the purpose of generating revenue, or promoting or discrediting a public figure, political movement, company, etc..
It’s impossible to avoid clickbait and fake news on social media.
a parody that presents current events or other news topics for humorous effect in an obviously satirical imitation of journalism.
The website publishes fake news that is hilarious and surprisingly insightful.
Sometimes Facetious., (used as a conversational tactic to dispute or discredit information that is perceived as hostile or unflattering).
The senator insisted that recent polls forecasting an election loss were just fake news.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fake news¹

First recorded in 1800–20 in the sense “false news, spurious news”; the current sense was first recorded in 2010–15

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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.

“We also see it in politics, when you look at fake news and all the mythmaking that goes on. Of course, this is nothing new, but I felt it was a good time to sum up my encounters with truth.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Good news is much needed these days, but it’s still fake news, so be careful out there! So, here’s a bit of real happiness!”

From Los Angeles Times

A BBC investigation uncovered a network promising to pay participants if they posted pro-Russian propaganda and fake news.

From BBC

But he has been very successful in convincing a large portion of his supporters that his critics are “fake news,” while also commandeering the existing conservative media apparatus into the regime’s unofficial mouthpiece—parroting his rhetoric no matter how far it strays from any semblance of objective reality.

From Slate

In response to the BBC investigation, the Russian embassy in the UK denied involvement in fake news and electoral interference and claimed that it was the EU that had been interfering in Moldova's election.

From BBC

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When To Use

What is fake news?

Fake news can refer to false new stories, often spread as misinformation or disinformation on social media. It has also come to refer any information that one finds critical about themselves or something themselves, a use popularized by President Donald Trump in 2016.

fakeness faker

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