false

/fɔls/

/fɔls/

Other forms: falsest; falser; falses

Something that's false is wrong or untrue. If you spread false rumors about a friend, you're telling lies.

When you read a fact in a textbook that you know is mistaken, you can describe it as false. Giving someone a false impression about your family's pizza place — implying that it's a fancy restaurant when it's really a take-out counter and a pizza oven — means you're giving the wrong idea. False can also mean "fake," as in false eyelashes or a false smile. It comes from the Old French fals, which is faux in Modern French: "false,fake, incorrect, or mistaken."

Definitions of false

1. adjective

   not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
   “gave false testimony under oath”

   “false tales of bravery”

   synonyms:

   incorrect, wrong

   not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

   counterfeit, imitative

   not genuine; imitating something superior

   dishonest, dishonorable

   deceptive or fraudulent; disposed to cheat or defraud or deceive

   insincere

   lacking sincerity

   mendacious

   intentionally untrue

   specious, spurious

   plausible but false

   trumped-up

   concocted with intent to deceive

   untrue

   not according with the facts

   antonyms:

   true

   consistent with fact or reality; not false

   correct, right

   free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth

   faithful

   steadfast in affection or allegiance

   echt, genuine

   not fake or counterfeit

   honest, honorable

   not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

   sincere

   open and genuine; not deceitful

   actual, genuine, literal, real

   being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something

   apodeictic, apodictic

   (of a proposition) necessarily true or logically certain

   truthful

   conforming to truth

   sure

   infallible or unfailing
2. adjective

   inappropriate to reality or facts
   “false hopes”

   synonyms: delusive

   unrealistic

   not realistic
3. adjective

   not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
   “false teeth”

   synonyms: fake, faux, imitation, simulated

   artificial, unreal

   contrived by art rather than nature
4. adjective

   arising from error
   “a false assumption”

   synonyms: mistaken

   incorrect, wrong

   not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
5. adjective

   erroneous and usually accidental
   “a false start”

   “a false alarm”

   synonyms:

   invalid

   having no cogency or legal force
6. adjective

   (used especially of persons) not dependable in devotion or affection; unfaithful
   “a false friend”

   synonyms: untrue

   inconstant

   likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable
7. adverb

   in a disloyal and faithless manner
   synonyms: faithlessly, traitorously, treacherously, treasonably
8. adjective

   deliberately deceptive
   “false pretenses”

   synonyms:

   insincere

   lacking sincerity
9. adjective

   designed to deceive
   “a suitcase with a false bottom”

   synonyms:

   dishonest, dishonorable

   deceptive or fraudulent; disposed to cheat or defraud or deceive
10. adjective

    adopted in order to deceive
    synonyms: assumed, fictitious, fictive, pretended, put on, sham

    counterfeit, imitative

    not genuine; imitating something superior
11. adjective

    inaccurate in pitch
    “a false (or sour) note”

    synonyms: off-key, sour

    inharmonious, unharmonious

    not in harmony