false

Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.

Adjective

  1. Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
    • Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber. - 1551, James A.H. Murray, editor, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly...

    Synonyms: erroneous fallacious bastard counterfactual false fictitious inaccurate incorrect invented made up nonfactual nontrue nontruthful pseudo- spurious untrue untruthful unveracious unveridical wrong

    Antonyms: real true

  2. Based on factually incorrect premises.
    • false legislation, false punishment
  3. Spurious, artificial.
    • false teeth
    • At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into...
  4. Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
  5. Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.
    • a false witness
  6. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
    • a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises
    • I to my ſelf was falſe, e’re thou to me,[…] - 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey...
    • She had been in Baton Rouge but a little over two weeks, when suddenly his letters ceased. She awaited in anxious suspense a whole week — no letter. Another week dragged heavily, and her anxiety became a terrible fear....
  7. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
    • a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar
    • So downe he fell, as an huge rockie clift, / Whoſe falſe foundacion waues haue waſht away,[…] - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC,...
  8. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
  9. Used in the vernacular name of a species (or group of species) together with the name of another species to which it is similar in appearance.
    • false scorpion (an arachnid)
    • false killer whale (a dolphin)
    • false powderpost beetles (members of Bostrichidae not in Lyctinae)
  10. Out of tune.

Origin

From Middle English false, fals, from Old English fals (“false; counterfeit; fraudulent; wrong; mistaken”), from Latin falsus (“counterfeit, false; falsehood”), perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-Norman and Old French fals, faus. Compare Scots fals, false, Saterland Frisian falsk, German falsch, Dutch vals, Swedish and Danish falsk; all from Latin falsus. Displaced native Middle English les, lese, from Old English lēas (“false”); See lease, leasing. Doublet of faux. The verb is from Middle English falsen, falsien, from Old French falser, from Latin falsō (“falsify”), itself also from falsus; compare French fausser (“to falsify, to distort”).

Forms

falser falsest

Synonyms

lease

Derived

bear false witness false 9 false acacia false action false advertising false alarm false albacore false alder false analogy false antechinus false arrest false attack false balance false banana false blue indigo false borrowing false bottom false buttonweed falsecard false chanterelle false cirrus false cognate false colour false conception

Adverb

  1. In a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely.
    • Sweet Lord, you play me falſe. - 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...

    Synonyms: dastardly insincerely traitorwise dishonestly false falsefully falsely illegitimately truthlessly underhand underhanded underhandedly unsincerely untruly untruthfully disloyally Judasly perfidiously proditoriously ratlike traitorly traitorously treacherously unfaithfully

Forms

more false most false

Noun

  1. One of two options on a true-or-false test, that not representing true.
    • The student received a failing grade for circling every true and false on her quiz.

Forms

falses

Verb

  1. To incorrectly decode noise as if it were a valid signal.
  2. To begin a race before being instructed to do so; to do a false start.
    • Records have been broken, races have been dedicated, dreams have been dreamed, starts have been falsed and nouns have been verbed. - 2011 September 1, Harry Pearson, “London 2012 can legacy by verbing the noun”, in The...
  3. To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).
    • And he that could with giftes and promiſes, Inueigle him that lead a thouſand horſe, And make him falſe his faith vnto his King, Will quickly win ſuch as be like himſelfe. - c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher...

    Synonyms: double-cross falsify sell out assfuck betray burn cop out cross out cross up do someone dirty do the dirty on false go back on knife let down play someone false quisle renegade sell sell the pass sell down the river sell down stab in the back swike

  4. To counterfeit, to forge.
  5. To make false, to corrupt from something true or real.

Forms

falses falsing falsed