false friend

[ fawls frend ]

noun

, Linguistics.

1. a word in one language that is similar in form or sound to a word in another language but has a different meaning and may or may not be etymologically related: for example, English gift “present” and German Gift “poison” are false friends.

false friend

noun

1. a word or expression in one language that, because it resembles one in another language, is often wrongly taken to have the same meaning, for example, the French agenda which means diary , not agenda

Confusables Note

See false cognate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of false friend¹

First recorded in 1930–35; patterned after French faux ami in same sense

Example Sentences

The French word “propre” is an example of a false friend, “faux ami” in French, a word whose English translation appears obvious but for which the obvious choice is incorrect.

From Washington Post

"Zola," with its story of a dangerous, foolhardy false friend, confirms that Black women aren't angry, scary, intimidating or crazy to stand up to white women who don't have their best interests at heart.

From Salon

He called the choice of Trzaskowski or Duda as choosing between “an open enemy and a false friend, and you don’t know which is worse.”

From Washington Times

At times an unyielding ally, at times a false friend, concrete can resist nature for decades and then suddenly amplify its impact.

From The Guardian

“Its absence unmasks the false friend.”

From Literature