factoid

noun

fac·toid ˈfak-ˌtȯid

Synonyms of factoid next

: an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print

: a briefly stated and usually trivial fact

Did you know?

Did you know that Norman Mailer coined the word factoid?

We can thank Norman Mailer for factoid: he used the word in his 1973 book Marilyn (about Marilyn Monroe), and he is believed to be the coiner of the word. In the book, he explains that factoids are "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper, creations which are not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority." Mailer's use of the -oid suffix (which traces back to the ancient Greek word eidos, meaning "appearance" or "form") follows in the pattern of humanoid: just as a humanoid appears to be human but is not, a factoid appears to be factual but is not. The word has since evolved so that now it most often refers to things that decidedly are facts, just not ones that are significant.

Examples of factoid in a Sentence

The book is really just a collection of interesting factoids.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Genuine leather Bible Lovable coffee and end table books are easy conversation pieces that leave guests with both unique discussions and factoids from any round table gathering. —

Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024 One semi-hidden factoid is there used to be a walkway from the balcony to his writing room above the garage. —

Geoffrey Morrison, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 Yet readers will still find factoids that surprise: Scientists hypothesize that the moon coaxed prehistoric marine life to colonize land, for example. —

Joe Spring, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024 See Jayson’s full piece for more, which includes plenty of other interesting baseball time-travel factoids. —

Chris Branch, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for factoid