falsify

fal·si·fy

verb \ˈfȯl-sə-ˌfī\

fal·si·fiedfal·si·fy·ing

Definition of FALSIFY

transitive verb

1

: to prove or declare false : disprove

2

: to make false: as

a : to make false by mutilation or addition <the accounts were falsified to conceal a theft>

b : to represent falsely : misrepresent

3

: to prove unsound by experience

intransitive verb

: to tell lies : lie

— fal·si·fi·abil·i·ty \ˌfȯl-sə-ˌfī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— fal·si·fi·able \-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective

— fal·si·fi·ca·tion \ˌfȯl-sə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun

— fal·si·fi·er \ˈfȯl-sə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

Examples of FALSIFY

1. He was caught falsifying financial accounts.
2. <taking that statement completely out of context essentially falsifies it, whether that's your intention or not>

Origin of FALSIFY

Middle English falsifien, from Middle French falsifier, from Medieval Latin falsificare, from Latin falsus

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to FALSIFY

Synonyms

bend, color, cook, distort, garble, fudge, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

Antonyms

confirm, establish, prove, validate, verify

Related Words

misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate; belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash; bowdlerize, censor; complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up); mystify, obscure; equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricate

Near Antonyms

clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out; decipher