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false

- 7 dictionary results

–adjective

not true or correct; erroneous: a false statement.

uttering or declaring what is untrue: a false witness.

not faithful or loyal; treacherous: a false friend.

tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive: a false impression.

not genuine; counterfeit.

based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts: false pride.

used as a substitute or supplement, esp. temporarily: false supports for a bridge.

Biology. having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name: the false acacia.

not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted: a false balance.

10.

inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.

–adverb

11.

dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously: Did he speak false against me?

—Idiom

12.

play someone false, to betray someone; be treacherous or faithless.

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Origin:
bef. 1000; ME, OE fals < L falsus feigned, false, orig. ptp. of fallere to deceive; reinforced by or reborrowed from AF, OF fals, fem. false < L

—Related forms

falsely, adverb

falseness, noun

half-false, adjective

quasi-false, adjective

quasi-falsely, adverb

—Synonyms
1. mistaken, incorrect, wrong, untrue. 2. untruthful, lying, mendacious. 3. insincere, hypocritical, disingenuous, disloyal, unfaithful, inconstant, perfidious, traitorous. 4. misleading, fallacious. 5. artificial, spurious, bogus, forged. False, sham, counterfeit agree in referring to something that is not genuine. False is used mainly of imitations of concrete objects; it sometimes implies an intent to deceive: false teeth; false hair. Sham is rarely used of concrete objects and usually has the suggestion of intent to deceive: sham title; sham tears. Counterfeit always has the implication of cheating; it is used particularly of spurious imitation of coins, paper money, etc.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Link To false

World English Dictionary

false (fɔːls)

—*adj*
1.	not in accordance with the truth or facts
2.	irregular or invalid: a false start
3.	untruthful or lying: a false account
4.	not genuine, real, or natural; artificial; fake: false eyelashes
5.	being or intended to be misleading or deceptive: a false rumour
6.	disloyal or treacherous: a false friend
7.	based on mistaken or irrelevant ideas or facts: false pride; a false argument
8.	(prenominal) (esp of plants) superficially resembling the species specified: false hellebore
9.	serving to supplement or replace, often temporarily: a false keel
10.	music
	a. (of a note, interval, etc) out of tune
	b. (of the interval of a perfect fourth or fifth) decreased by a semitone
	c. (of a cadence) interrupted or imperfect

—*adv*
11.	in a false or dishonest manner (esp in the phrase play (someone) false)

[Old English fals, from Latin falsus, from fallere to deceive]

'falsely

—*adv*

'falseness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Word Origin & History

false

c.1200, from O.Fr. fals, faus, from L. falsus "deceived, erroneous, mistaken," pp. of fallere "deceive, disappoint," of uncertain origin. Adopted into other Gmc. languages (cf. Ger. falsch, Dan. falsk), though English is the only one in which the active sense of "deceitful" (a secondary sense in L.) has predominated. Related: Falsely. Falsies "padded brassiere" first recorded 1943.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

false definition

Pronunciation: /ˈfȯls/
Function: adj
fals·er; , fals·est; 1 : not corresponding to truth or reality <a test for HIV which gave false results>
2 : artificially made <false teeth>
3 : of a kind related to or resembling another kind that is usually designated by the unqualified vernacular <false oats>
false·lyFunction: adv
false·nessFunction: n

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2007 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: false
Function: adjective
1 : not genuine, authentic, or legitimate —compare COUNTERFEIT
2 a : not true or correct; especially : intentionally or knowingly untrue or incorrect false accusations> b : intended to mislead or deceive : DECEPTIVE, MISLEADING —compare FRAUDULENT —false·ly adverb —false·ness noun

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Computing Dictionary