falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

2

: absence of truth or accuracy

3

: the practice of lying : mendacity

Synonyms

• 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

At the event in Wheeling, Pritzker also took on Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been often accused of peddling falsehoods about immunizations. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025

Unfortunately, animal rights extremists — who think having a horse give a carriage ride in a park is akin to slavery — repeatedly spew falsehoods. —Christina Hansen, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2025

Experts said some lawmakers are conflating outright falsehoods with legitimate, small-scale research into geoengineering, and backlash to the research is intensifying. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 29 July 2025

Those who perpetrated these falsehoods must be held accountable. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2025

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