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falsehood

 - 2 dictionary results

false⋅hood

[fawls-hood]
–noun
1. a false statement; lie.
2. something false; an untrue idea, belief, etc.: The Nazis propagated the falsehood of racial superiority.
3. the act of lying or making false statements.
4. lack of conformity to truth or fact.
5. Obsolete. deception.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME falshede. See false, -hood


1. Falsehood, fib, lie, untruth refer to something untrue or incorrect. A falsehood is a statement that distorts or suppresses the truth, in order to deceive: to tell a falsehood about one's ancestry in order to gain acceptance. A fib denotes a trivial falsehood, and is often used to characterize that which is not strictly true: a polite fib. A lie is a vicious falsehood: to tell a lie about one's neighbor. An untruth is an incorrect statement, either intentionally misleading (less harsh, however, than falsehood or lie) or arising from misunderstanding or ignorance: I'm afraid you are telling an untruth. 3. untruthfulness, inveracity, mendacity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To falsehood
false·hood   (fôls'hŏŏd')   
n.  
  1. An untrue statement; a lie.

  2. The practice of lying.

  3. Lack of conformity to truth or fact; inaccuracy.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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