falsehood

[ fawls-hood ]

noun

1. a false statement; lie.

   Synonyms: falsification, story, fiction, invention, canard, prevarication, fabrication

2. something false; an untrue idea, belief, etc.:

   The Nazis propagated the falsehood of racial superiority.

3. the act of lying or making false statements.
4. lack of conformity to truth or fact.

   Synonyms: untruthfulness, mendacity, inveracity

5. Obsolete. deception.

falsehood

/ ˈfɔːlsˌhʊd /

noun

1. the quality of being untrue
2. an untrue statement; lie
3. the act of deceiving or lying

Word History and Origins

Origin of falsehood¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English falsehead, falshede; false, -hood

Synonym Study

Falsehood, fib, lie, untruth refer to something untrue or incorrect. A falsehood is a statement that distorts or suppresses the truth, in order to deceive: to tell a falsehood about one's ancestry in order to gain acceptance. A fib denotes a trivial falsehood, and is often used to characterize that which is not strictly true: a polite fib. A lie is a vicious falsehood: to tell a lie about one's neighbor. An untruth is an incorrect statement, either intentionally misleading (less harsh, however, than falsehood or lie) or arising from misunderstanding or ignorance: I'm afraid you are telling an untruth.

Example Sentences

A 2005 screed alleging the link, published jointly by Rolling Stone and Salon.com, was so stuffed with falsehoods that it was retracted by both publications.

From Los Angeles Times

Kennedy and his anti-vaccine nonprofit Children’s Health Defense took the opportunity to spread falsehoods about vaccinations across the island, leading a drastic decline in vaccination rates.

From Salon

During election season, expect to hear Republicans peddle falsehoods about abortion to discredit it and demonize the people who provide or support it.

From Los Angeles Times

His and Fox’s willingness to skirt the law show the fruits of an intimidation campaign by Republican attorneys general and legislators designed to force social media to platform falsehoods and hate speech.

From Salon

In an age of viral social media posts, rumors and falsehoods — whether pushed by campaigns, supporters or foreign adversaries — can easily overshadow the facts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cover-up
• deceit
• deception
• dishonesty
• distortion
• fabrication
• fakery
• fallacy
• falsity
• misstatement
• perjury
• prevarication
• sham
• tall tale
• untruth