False
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Definitions
- 1 One of two options on a true-or-false test, that not representing true.
"The student received a failing grade for circling every true and false on her quiz."
- 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.
"Records have been broken, races have been dedicated, dreams have been dreamed, starts have been falsed and nouns have been verbed."
- 3 To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.). obsolete
"And he that could with giftes and promiſes, Inueigle him that lead a thouſand horſe, And make him falſe his faith vnto his King, Will quickly win ſuch as be like himſelfe."
- 4 To counterfeit, to forge. obsolete
- 5 To make false, to corrupt from something true or real. obsolete
- 1 Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
"Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber."
- 2 one of two states of a Boolean variable; logic 0. not-comparable
- 3 Based on factually incorrect premises.
"false legislation, false punishment"
- 4 Spurious, artificial.
"false teeth"
- 5 Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.
"a false witness"
- 7 Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
"a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises"
- 8 Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
"a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar"
- 9 Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
- 10 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.
"false scorpion (an arachnid)"
- 11 Out of tune.
- 1 (used especially of persons) not dependable in devotion or affection; unfaithful wordnet
- 2 arising from error wordnet
- 3 adopted in order to deceive wordnet
- 4 inaccurate in pitch wordnet
- 5 designed to deceive wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article wordnet
- 7 inappropriate to reality or facts wordnet
- 8 deliberately deceptive wordnet
- 9 not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality wordnet
- 10 erroneous and usually accidental wordnet
- 1 In a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely.
"Sweet Lord, you play me falſe."
- 1 in a disloyal and faithless manner wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"The witnesses were able to refute the false testimony of the suspect."
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”).
Related phrases
More for "false"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.