FALSE
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
false¹
- /fɔːls/ UK
- /fɒls/ UK
- /fɔls/ US
- /fɑls/ US, cot caught merger, dialectal
- /fɒls/ Canada, dialectal
- /fɔls/ Australia, New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɔːls, -ɒls
Where it comes from
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”).
adjective falser · falsest
- 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.
- Based on factually incorrect premises. false legislation, false punishment
- Spurious, artificial. false teeth
- Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
- Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful. a false witness
- Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous. a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises
- Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous. a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar
- 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. false scorpion (an arachnid)
- Out of tune.
Similar: lease
verb falses · falsing · falsed
- To incorrectly decode noise as if it were a valid signal.
- 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.
- To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.). 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.
- To counterfeit, to forge.
- To make false, to corrupt from something true or real.
adverb more false · most false
- In a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely. Sweet Lord, you play me falſe.
noun falses
- 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.
FALSE²
adjective
- one of two states of a Boolean variable; logic 0.
