falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

2

: absence of truth or accuracy

3

: the practice of lying : mendacity

Synonyms

• delusion
• error
• fallacy
• falsity
• hallucination
• illusion
• misbelief
• misconception
• myth
• old wives' tale
• untruth

Examples of falsehood in a Sentence

the line between truth and falsehood

the possibility of a perpetual motion machine is one falsehood that has been disproved by modern physics

Recent Examples on the Web

Aside from the urgent response, the disaster has also attracted damaging misinformation and falsehoods. —Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025

Since Trump left office in 2020, the Republican Party has also been instrumental in enabling the Stop the Steal movement, devoted to keeping alive the falsehood that Biden did not win the 2020 election. —Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2025

This means all the hullabaloo that the skinny jean will be making a comeback is a falsehood. —Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025

The warning signs are clear: The very platforms that connect billions of people are becoming pipelines of unchecked falsehoods. —Rhea Wessel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

2

: the habit of lying