falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

spreading falsehoods about his opponent

2

: absence of truth or accuracy

The falsehood of this narrative made it no less effective.

—Peniel E. Joseph

3

: the practice of lying : mendacity

… Thomas Jefferson … accused the press of engaging in "falsehood and defamation" while covering his administration.

—Albert R. Hunt

Synonyms of falsehood

• delusion
• myth
• error
• illusion

Examples of falsehood in a Sentence

the line between truth and falsehood

the possibility of a perpetual motion machine is one falsehood that has been disproved by modern physics

Recent Examples on the Web

But at the prospect of engagement dropping by even one percent, Zuckerberg rules out any serious measures against content violation, making Charlie furious by refusing to consider policing political ads for falsehoods. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Despite this online onslaught, many actors across sub-Saharan Africa are actively standing up to combat falsehoods with facts. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026

Yet no one was held accountable, not the Bush administration officials who orchestrated the war based on falsehoods, nor the journalists and editors who failed to do their jobs. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

The second, given by Stille, enlisted a recurrent theme in Eco’s fiction — how falsehood often trumps truth — to discuss the crisis of liberal democracy and its institutions. — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for falsehood

• adulthood
• babyhood
• brotherhood
• cottonwood
• fatherhood
• firewood
• fuelwood
• hardihood
• ironwood
• leatherwood
• likelihood
• livelihood

Kids Definition

falsehood

noun

false·​hood ˈfȯls-ˌhu̇d 

1

: an untrue statement : lie

2

: the habit of lying