Definition of FALSE

false

Plural: falses

Adjective

  • Contrary to truth or fact; not genuine.
  • not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
    • "gave false testimony under oath"
    • "false tales of bravery"

Adjective Satellite

  • arising from error
    • "a false assumption"
  • erroneous and usually accidental
    • "a false start"
    • "a false alarm"
  • deliberately deceptive
    • "false pretenses"
  • inappropriate to reality or facts
    • "false hopes"
  • not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
    • "false teeth"
  • designed to deceive
    • "a suitcase with a false bottom"
  • inaccurate in pitch
    • "a false (or sour) note"
  • adopted in order to deceive
  • (used especially of persons) not dependable in devotion or affection; unfaithful
    • "a false friend"

Adverb

  • in a disloyal and faithless manner
    • "his wife played him false"

Adj

  • Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
  • Based on factually incorrect premises.
  • Spurious, artificial.
  • Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
  • Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.
  • Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
  • Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
  • Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
  • 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.
  • Out of tune.

Verb

  • To incorrectly decode noise as if it were a valid signal.
  • To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).
  • To counterfeit, to forge.
  • 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.

Examples

  • a false conclusion;  a false construction in grammar
  • a false friend, lover, or subject;  false to promises
  • a false witness
  • Claiming ’QI’ isn’t a valid Scrabble word is a false pretense to distract your opponent.
  • false killer whale (a dolphin)
  • false legislation, false punishment
  • false powderpost beetles (members of Bostrichidae not in Lyctinae)
  • false scorpion (an arachnid)
  • false teeth
  • The student received a failing grade for circling every true and false on her quiz.

Origin / Etymology

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”).

Antonyms

true, real

Scrabble Score: 8

false: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
false: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
false: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

false: valid Words With Friends Word