false

Meaning

Adj

1. Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
2. Based on factually incorrect premises.
3. Spurious, artificial.
4. Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
5. Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.
6. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
7. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
8. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
9. Used in the vernacular name of a species (or group of species) together with the name of another species to which it is similar in appearance.
10. Out of tune.

Verb

1. To incorrectly decode noise as if it were a valid signal.
2. To begin a race before being instructed to do so; to do a false start.
3. (obsolete) To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).
4. (obsolete) To counterfeit, to forge.
5. (obsolete) To make false, to corrupt from something true or real.

Adv

In a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely.

Noun

One of two options on a true-or-false test, that not representing true.

Synonyms

untrue

wrong

counterfeit

spurious

fake

lying

sham

artificial

bogus

deceptive

deceitful

incorrect

erroneous

imitation

mock

delusive

mendacious

fictitious

pretended

mistaken

phoney

insincere

untruthful

pseudo

unreal

forged

phony

not true

lie

fraudulent

hypocritical

dishonest

shoddy

faked

faux

simulated

duplicitous

dummy

unfaithful

sour

treacherous

feigned

quasi

faithlessly

off-key

mistake

defective

assumed

deceiving

misguided

Translations

faux

falso

falsch

falso

falso

fals

vals

ψευδής

finto

onwaar

verlogen

unwahr

falsus

bedrieglijk

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɔːls/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: false

Inherited from Old English: fals

Cognate with Anglo-Norman: -

Cognate with Old French: fals

Cognate with Scots: fals

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: falsk

Cognate with German: falsch

Cognate with Dutch: vals

Cognate with Swedish: -

Cognate with Danish: falsk

Cognate with Latin: falsus

Cognate with Middle English: les

Cognate with Old English: lēas

Inherited from Middle English: falsen

Cognate with French: fausser

In summary

From Middle English false, fals, from Old English fals (“false; counterfeit; fraudulent; wrong; mistaken”), from Latin falsus (“counterfeit, false; falsehood”), perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-Norman and Old French fals, faus. Compare Scots fals, false, Saterland Frisian falsk, German falsch, Dutch vals, Swedish and Danish falsk; all from Latin falsus. Displaced native Middle English les, lese, from Old English lēas (“false”); See lease, leasing. Doublet of faux.
The verb is from Middle English falsen, falsien, from Old French falser, from Latin falsō (“falsify”), itself also from falsus; compare French fausser (“to falsify, to distort”).