fallacy

noun

ˈfa-lə-sē How to pronounce fallacy (audio)
Definition of fallacynext
1
as in delusion
a false idea or belief the once-common fallacy that girls just weren't any good at math

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deception
the quality or state of being false the fallacy of the notion of spontaneous generation was demonstrated by the Dutch naturalist Leeuwenhoek

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fallacy There is a fallacy in thinking of languages as brute and unchanging facts, laid out distinctly like elements in the periodic table. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Alfred North Whitehead called this the fallacy of misplaced concreteness. — Gautam Mukunda, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 But some surgeons call this a fallacy. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 14 May 2026 The sunk cost fallacy is the silent killer of rational decision-making. — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fallacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallacy
  1. delusion
  2. deception
  3. myth
  4. deceptiveness
  5. error
  6. falseness
  7. illusion
  8. falsehood
Noun
  • In a number of wrongful death lawsuits, ChatGPT is blamed for driving users to experience harmful delusions and, in some cases, to commit suicide.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But a line like that also fleshes out the head-in-the-stratosphere delusions of everyone here.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of delusion
Noun
  • Nefarious actors have long been keen to fill the gap through what international law describes as coercion, deception and abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability.
    — Robert P. George, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Zishan Zeng, was charged with two counts of elder exploitation and two counts of theft by deception.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • Also intertwined are ancient myths of warring city-states, the raw, moody poetry of John Keats, and the modern battle between a faithless husband and his wife, the poem’s raging speaker.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In eighth-century myths the aes sidhe are literally called the tribe of the gods, and there’s a story as well, in an account of Patrick’s life written in the late seventh century.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of myth
Noun
  • Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • Someone who visits the malicious website directly may see a 404 error page instead of the fake installer.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The experts, who had all studied AI in academic settings, all brought up the ironies of the automation problem, where AI makes errors that humans can’t catch.
    — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of error
Noun
  • The falseness of the medium, though, jibed with the falseness of most attempts, throughout American history, to make sense of this enormous, strange man.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of falseness
Noun
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusion
Noun
  • But in a world filled with falsehoods and other noise, clear communication goes a long way.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But the tragedy conceals something nobody knows, and the falsehoods about Jung-hyun keep growing.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of falsehood

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fallacy
fal-lal
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Cite this Entry

“Fallacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallacy. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fallacy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fallacy

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