falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

spreading falsehoods about his opponent

2

: absence of truth or accuracy

The falsehood of this narrative made it no less effective.

—Peniel E. Joseph

3

: the practice of lying : mendacity

… Thomas Jefferson … accused the press of engaging in "falsehood and defamation" while covering his administration.

—Albert R. Hunt

Synonyms of falsehood

• delusion
• myth
• error
• illusion

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

The role of journalism is not to stand neutrally between truth and falsehood. — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

This matters because cancer falsehoods online are directly linked to higher rates of death, studies have found. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026

Diplomats are paid to lie for their country, but this may be the greatest and most obvious falsehood ever uttered by a diplomat not named Sergey Lavrov. — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026

The trouble is not TMI but TLI Another falsehood standing in the way of feeling loved is the presumption that asking questions will seem nosy. — Jessica Dulong, CNN Money, 16 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for falsehood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood

Kids Definition

falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

2

: the habit of lying