falsehood

noun

false·hood | \ ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d

Definition of falsehood

1 : an untrue statement : lie

2 : absence of truth or accuracy

3 : the practice of lying : mendacity

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about falsehood

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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 stakes are made clear by the sheer number of falsehoods that emanate from the president’s lips, and from his Twitter account. — Isaac Stanley-becker, The Seattle Times, "Critics demand networks fact-check Trump’s live immigration speech," 8 Jan. 2019 Indeed, The Washington Post reported that a third of Trump’s falsehoods so far are about jobs, trade deals, or economic issues. — Politifact, Teen Vogue, "Trump's Lies and Misleading Claims Have Grown in Volume Since the Start of the Presidency," 22 Aug. 2018 Ashley Parker of the Washington Post notes how the pace of Trump's falsehoods seems to be increasing. — NBC News, "First Read's Morning Clips: At least 20 House Dem candidates won't back Pelosi," 20 June 2018 The report found that these lies didn’t have to be believable — even clear falsehoods, repeated widely and frequently enough, could be effective in warping public opinion in the propagandist’s favor. — Carlos Maza, Vox, "Why obvious lies make great propaganda," 31 Aug. 2018 Social bots – false social-media accounts designed to push out high volumes of information – can make such falsehoods go viral. — Trudy Rubin, Philly.com, "Putin's info war against America amplified by Trump | Trudy Rubin," 30 May 2018 Returning to his 2016 campaign playbook, the president delivered fiery speeches that drew massive and enthusiastic crowds but contained a breathtaking barrage of falsehoods, invective and demagoguery. — Isaac Stanley-becker, The Seattle Times, "Republicans keep control of the Senate; Democrats claim House majority," 7 Nov. 2018 The Times' staff analyzed the State of the Union on Tuesday to try to separate truths from falsehoods. — Los Angeles Times Staff, latimes.com, "Fact check: What Trump got wrong in his State of the Union address," 31 Jan. 2018 Popular culture upholds this falsehood while often showing only one type of disabled body— a white male wheelchair user, like in Me Before You, The Fundamentals of Caring and ABC’s Speechless. — Keah Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, "Disabled People Are Not an Inconvenience," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'falsehood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.