falsify

[ fawl-suh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, fal·si·fied, fal·si·fy·ing.

1. to make false or incorrect, especially so as to deceive:

   to falsify income-tax reports.

2. to alter fraudulently.
3. to represent falsely:

   He falsified the history of his family to conceal his humble origins.

4. to show or prove to be false; disprove:

   to falsify a theory.

   Synonyms: controvert, confute, refute, discredit, rebut

verb (used without object)

, fal·si·fied, fal·si·fy·ing.

1. to make false statements.

falsify

/ ˈfɔːlsɪˌfaɪ; ˌfɔːlsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

verb

1. to make (a report, evidence, accounts, etc) false or inaccurate by alteration, esp in order to deceive
2. to prove false; disprove

Derived Forms

• falsification, noun
• ˈfalsiˌfier, noun
• ˈfalsiˌfiable, adjective

Other Words From

• fal·si·fi·a·ble [fawl-s, uh, -, fahy, -, uh, -b, uh, l] adjective
• fal·si·fi·ca·tion [fawl-s, uh, -fi-, key, -sh, uh, n], noun
• fal·si·fi·er noun
• un·fal·si·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of falsify¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English falsifien, from Middle French falsifier, from Late Latin falsificāre; false, -ify

Word History and Origins

Origin of falsify¹

C15: from Old French falsifier , from Late Latin falsificāre , from Latin falsus false + facere to make

Synonym Study

See misrepresent.

Example Sentences

Vox’s Brian Resnick has written extensively on “deep canvassing,” a tactic that was mired in controversy when Science retracted the initial 2014 study after the researcher was found to have falsified his data.

From Vox

The frustration for theoretical ecologists is that, with thousands of disparate ecosystems around the globe, ecological theories can be hard to universally falsify.

From Quanta Magazine

During that time, he reported only one of his hires to the board of overseers for falsifying invoices, commission records show.

From ProPublica

Because Pirahã, according to Dan, would falsify that hypothesis.

From Nautilus

We will permanently ban any pollster found to be falsifying data.

From FiveThirtyEight

She helped falsify accounts and keep track of which clients were depositing or withdrawing money, but she did not testify.

From The Daily Beast

The scientific method cannot establish truths; it can only falsify hypotheses.

From The Daily Beast

Other families go to much more extreme lengths, like those who falsify applications or tax returns.

From The Daily Beast

If there were a law to punish those who adulterate or falsify "truth," our magistrates would be kept extremely busy.

From Project Gutenberg

I may equally charge controversial writers with fraud, when they falsify the words or arguments of an opponent.

From Project Gutenberg

But we must not falsify observation to avoid theoretical difficulties.

From Project Gutenberg

It may be added, that even the height of the boot-heels of young collegians of twenty-five would tend to falsify the average.

From Project Gutenberg

It will be curious if the result, as not unfrequently happens, should be such as to falsify both conclusions.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• contradict
• contravene
• counterfeit
• deceive
• distort
• exaggerate
• fake
• forge
• misstate
• pervert
• tamper with