false

adjective

\ ˈfȯls

falser; falsest

Definition of false

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : not genuine false documents false teeth

2a : intentionally untrue false testimony

b : adjusted or made so as to deceive false scales a trunk with a false bottom

c : intended or tending to mislead a false promise

3 : not true false concepts

4a : not faithful or loyal : treacherous a false friend

b : lacking naturalness or sincerity false sympathy

5a : not essential or permanent —used of parts of a structure that are temporary or supplemental

b : fitting over a main part to strengthen it, to protect it, or to disguise its appearance a false ceiling

6 : inaccurate in pitch a false note

7a : based on mistaken ideas false pride

b : inconsistent with the facts a false position a false sense of security

8 : threateningly sudden or deceptive don't make any false moves

false

adverb

Definition of false (Entry 2 of 2)

: in a false or faithless manner : treacherously his friends played him false

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Choose the Right Synonym for false

Adjective

faithless, false, disloyal, traitorous, treacherous, perfidious mean untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance. faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty. faithless allies false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery. betrayed by false friends disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country. disloyal to their country traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust. traitorous acts punishable by death treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence. a treacherous adviser perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability. a perfidious double-crosser

Examples of false in a Sentence

Adjective

Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false. He registered at the hotel under a false name.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Open records reveal our politicians’ secret sins and expose when our public officials bear false witness. — al.com, "Why does God need public records? In Alabama, that’s a real question.," 14 July 2019 McCormick gave a false name to the trooper, and then fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed, officials said. — Sofia Saric, BostonGlobe.com, "Springfield man charged with attempted murder and kidnapping following police pursuit," 13 July 2019 The manner in which Johnson campaigned for Brexit was not a million miles from the euromyth style: who can forget the extraordinary -- and false -- claim that the UK was sending £350 million ($439 million) a week to Brussels? — Luke Mcgee, CNN, "Boris Johnson, the divisive Brexit-backing populist or the charming liberal metropolitan? UK has no idea which leader it'll get," 13 July 2019 Zack Greinke: The Diamondbacks are a .500 team, and that’s false hope in a division in which the Dodgers are light years ahead of the pack. — John Shea, SFChronicle.com, "MLB second-half storylines: Giants could do Bumgarner a favor by trading him," 13 July 2019 Come September, the brand will launch a new gilded highlighter, the fan-favorite Sculpt and Highlight Duo in Swavorski packaging, limited-edition false lashes, a 12-pan eye shadow palette, an all-in-one face palette, and more. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "Charlotte Tilbury’s Revealed Her Magic Vanish Colour-Correcting Powders — and They Live Up to the Name," 12 July 2019 The central striker will operate as a false nine, dropping into pockets of space and looking to feed the wingers, who will be cutting in from their flanks between the centre-back and full-back. — SI.com, "The Blueprint: How Barcelona's Forward Line Could Look After Signing Antoine Griezmann," 12 July 2019 Police learned that the man has frequently used the false name as an alias. — cleveland.com, "Woman’s shouting disturbs the peace at PEACE Park: Cleveland Heights Police Blotter," 12 July 2019 The indictment unsealed in Chicago federal court Friday says Kelly and his business manager, Derrel McDavid, threatened, intimidated and pressured the girl and her parents to falsify police reports and give false testimony to a grand jury. — Author: Sara Burnett, Caryn Rousseau, Anchorage Daily News, "Feds bring new sex crime charges against singer R. Kelly," 12 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Meanwhile, forcing axioms, which deem the continuum hypothesis false by adding a new size of infinity, would also extend the frontiers of mathematics in other directions. — Quanta Magazine, "To Settle Infinity Dispute, a New Law of Logic," 26 Nov. 2013 Any assertion otherwise on the latter front rings false given that, as acting commissioner, Selig had to have known about the FBI’s Operation Equine, an early ’90s investigation into PED distribution that included McGwire and Canseco. — Jay Jaffe, SI.com, "Roger Clemens, Arguably the Greatest Pitcher of All-Time, Is Trending Toward Hall of Fame Induction," 13 Dec. 2017

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