false

play

adjective \ˈfȯls\

Definition of false

falser

;

falsest

1 : not genuine false documents false teeth
2a : intentionally untrue false testimonyb : adjusted or made so as to deceive false scales a trunk with a false bottomc : intended or tending to mislead a false promise
3 : not true false concepts
4a : not faithful or loyal : treacherous a false friendb : lacking naturalness or sincerity false sympathy
5a : not essential or permanent —used of parts of a structure that are temporary or supplementalb : 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 prideb : inconsistent with the facts a false position a false sense of security
8 : threateningly sudden or deceptive don't make any false moves

falsely

adverb

falseness

noun

See false defined for English-language learners

See false defined for kids

Examples of false in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of false from the Web

In September 2011, a package containing about 1,000 clay bullae, an ancient form of inscribed identification, was received by Hobby Lobby from an Israeli dealer and accompanied by a false declaration stating that its country of origin was Israel.

— Bloomberg.com, "Hobby Lobby Fined $3 Million Over Smuggled Iraqi Artifacts", 6 July 2017
Lord argues the wrong occurred not when the false fraud determination was made, but when the claimants were wrongly deprived of their property through actions such as seizures of income tax refunds.

— paul egan, Detroit Free Press, "Jobless claimants falsely accused of fraud get day in court on Friday", 6 July 2017
Barnes had been in and out of Oklahoma prisons since 1992 on charges of false impersonation, being in felon in possession of a firearm, drugs and rape, according to prison records.

— ian cummings, laura bauer, tony rizzo, eric adler and robert a. cronkleton the kansas city star, kansascity.com, "Three alleged Tulsa, Okla., gang members among victims in KC’s bloody holiday weekend", 3 July 2017
Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell set bond for Dejuan Paul at $150,000 for second-degree robbery, $100,000 for an out-of-state warrant for domestic violence, and $5,000 for possession with intent to distribute false drugs.

— richard a. webster, NOLA.com, "$255K bond set for 'main attacker' in French Quarter robbery", 30 June 2017
Brunner earlier pleaded guilty to three felonies, including bankruptcy fraud for hiding about $7 million in assets from the court and creditors and for submitting false invoices to pocket cash from a bank.

— cary spivak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Onetime 'foreclosure king' Todd Brunner stays out of prison; judge cites extreme weight, health", 30 June 2017
To pretend the America’s Cup has always been about national teams is simply false.

— christopher clarey, New York Times, "For the Kiwis, a Win Could Mean Rewriting Rules for the Next America’s Cup", 24 June 2017
Anderson also has pleaded not guilty to an unrelated charge of filing a false police report in 2016.

— dan campana, Elgin Courier-News, "Fitness hearing delayed for Carpentersville ex-teacher", 23 June 2017
The president just admitted that no tapes exist of his conversations with James Comey, following weeks of threatening for former FBI director with the false existence of audio.

— mariya moseley, Essence.com, "As If We Didn't Already Know: Trump Finally Admits That There Are No Comey Tapes", 22 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of false

Middle English fals, faus, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin falsus, from past participle of fallere to deceive

NEW!

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of false

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

false

adverb

Definition of false

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

Origin and Etymology of false

see ¹false

NEW!

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

FALSE Defined for English Language Learners

false

play

adjective

Definition of false for English Language Learners

: not real or genuine
: not true or accurate; especially : deliberately untrue : done or said to fool or deceive someone
: based on mistaken ideas

FALSE Defined for Kids

false

play

adjective \ˈfȯls\

Definition of false for Students

falser

;

falsest

1 : not true, genuine, or honest false testimony false documents false teeth
2 : not faithful or loyal false friends
3 : not based on facts or sound judgment a false feeling of security
4 : careless 2 One false step, and he could slip … — Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee

falsely

adverb She was falsely accused.

false

play

adverb

Definition of false for Students

: in a dishonest or misleading manner He spoke false.

Medical Dictionary

false

play

adjective \ˈfȯls\

Medical Definition of false

falser

;

falsest

1: not corresponding to truth or reality a test for HIV which gave false results
2: artificially made false teeth
3: of a kind related to or resembling another kind that is usually designated by the unqualified vernacular false oats

falsely

adverb

falseness

noun

Law Dictionary

false

adjective

Legal Definition of false

1 : not genuine, authentic, or legitimate — compare counterfeit
2a : not true or correct; especially : intentionally or knowingly untrue or incorrect injured by false accusations b : intended to mislead or deceive : deceptive, misleading — compare fraudulent