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View synonyms for false

false

[ fawls ]

adjective

, fals·er, fals·est.
  1. not true or correct; erroneous:

    a false statement.

    Synonyms: untrue, wrong, incorrect, mistaken

  2. uttering or declaring what is untrue:

    a false witness.

    Synonyms: mendacious, lying, untruthful

  3. not faithful or loyal; treacherous:

    a false friend.

    Synonyms: hypocritical, traitorous, perfidious, inconstant, unfaithful, disloyal, disingenuous, insincere

  4. tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive:

    a false impression.

    Synonyms: fallacious, misleading

  5. not genuine; counterfeit.

    Synonyms: artificial, bogus, spurious

  6. based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts:

    false pride.

  7. used as a substitute or supplement, especially temporarily:

    false supports for a bridge.

  8. Biology. having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name:

    the false acacia.

  9. not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted:

    a false balance.

  10. inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.


adverb

  1. dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously:

    Did he speak false against me?

false

/ fɔːls /

adjective

  1. not in accordance with the truth or facts
  2. irregular or invalid

    a false start

  3. untruthful or lying

    a false account

  4. not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fake

    false eyelashes

  5. being or intended to be misleading or deceptive

    a false rumour

  6. disloyal or treacherous

    a false friend

  7. based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or facts

    a false argument

    false pride

  8. prenominal (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specified

    false hellebore

  9. serving to supplement or replace, often temporarily

    a false keel

  10. music
    1. (of a note, interval, etc) out of tune
    2. (of the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth) decreased by a semitone
    3. (of a cadence) interrupted or imperfect
“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


adverb

  1. in a false or dishonest manner (esp in the phrase play ( someone ) false )
“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈfalsely, adverb
  • ˈfalseness, noun
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Other Words From

  • falsely adverb
  • falseness noun
  • half-false adjective
  • quasi-false adjective
  • quasi-falsely adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of false1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English fals, from Latin falsus “feigned, false,” originally past participle of fallere “to deceive”; reinforced by or reborrowed from Anglo-French, Old French fals (feminine false ), from Latin
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Word History and Origins

Origin of false1

Old English fals , from Latin falsus , from fallere to deceive
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. play someone false, to betray someone; be treacherous or faithless.

More idioms and phrases containing false

  • lull into (false sense of security)
  • play false
  • ring false
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Synonym Study

False, sham, counterfeit agree in referring to something that is not genuine. False is used mainly of imitations of concrete objects; it sometimes implies an intent to deceive: false teeth; false hair. Sham is rarely used of concrete objects and usually has the suggestion of intent to deceive: sham title; sham tears. Counterfeit always has the implication of cheating; it is used particularly of spurious imitation of coins, paper money, etc.
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Example Sentences

Additionally, The New York Times’ Daily Distortions vertical tracks false and misleading information, and The Washington Post’s Fact Checker was created in 2007 to hold mostly politicians accountable for false or misleading statements.

From Digiday

He’s concerned, in the meantime, that the rollout of vaccines could lead to a false sense of security, followed again by spikes in infections, but his focus continues to be on getting businesses to comply.

Increasingly, scientists have found that nonbiological chemical processes can create similar shapes, suggesting the possibility of “false positives” in the biological record.

“Parents can have a false sense of security, especially when they’re around their children all the time,” Olson said.

A reasonable person would assume she was talking about coronavirus cases and deaths — which would be false.

And no issue should be defined by its outliers because it paints a false picture.

He has contributed to a false picture of law enforcement based on isolated injustices.

“Nothing else to do” was the most common response for why people chose to go to The Ball, though that rang a little false to me.

He quotes an unnamed cardinal saying that the conclave voters knew the charges were false.

Once people with ID are arrested, they are particularly susceptible to making coerced and often false confessions.

But the sheer quantity of the inflated currency and false money forces prices higher still.

The rest is done by cutting away two upper and four under-teeth, and substituting false ones at the desired angle.

He was thrashed at school before the Jews and the hubshi, for the heinous crime of bringing home false reports of progress.

I will not, therefore, say that the proposition that the value of everything equals the cost of production is false.

But his servant runs after the man, and gets two talents of silver and some garments under false pretences.

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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.

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FALNfalse acacia