Etymology

From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#FALSECategory:English terms derived from Middle English#FALSE false, fals, from Old EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Old English#FALSECategory:English terms derived from Old English#FALSE fals (“false; counterfeit; fraudulent; wrong; mistaken”), from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#FALSE 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 fauxCategory:English doublets#FALSE.

The verb is from Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#FALSECategory:English terms derived from Middle English#FALSE falsen, falsien, from Old FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Old French#FALSE falser, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#FALSE falsō (“falsify”), itself also from falsus; compare French fausser (“to falsify, to distort”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɔːls/, /fɒls/Category:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE

  • Audio (London, /fɔːls/):

    (file)

    Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#FALSE
• (General American, without the cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /fɔls/Category:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE
• (General American, cot–caught merger, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /fɑls/Category:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE

  • Audio (California):

    (file)

    Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#FALSE
• (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /fɒls/Category:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /fɔls/Category:English 1-syllable words#FALSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE
• Rhymes: -ɔːls, -ɒlsCategory:Rhymes:English/ɔːls#FALSECategory:Rhymes:English/ɔːls/1 syllable#FALSECategory:Rhymes:English/ɒls#FALSECategory:Rhymes:English/ɒls/1 syllable#FALSE

Adjective

false (comparative falser, superlative falsest)Category:English lemmas#FALSECategory:English adjectives#FALSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.

   Synonyms: erroneous, fallacious; see also Thesaurus:untrue

   Antonyms: real, true

   • 1551, James A.H. Murray, editor, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society, volume 1, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1888, Part 1, page 217, column 2:

     Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber.

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

2. Based on factually incorrect premises.

   false legislation, false punishmentCategory:English terms with collocations#FALSE

3. Spurious, artificial.

   false teethCategory:English terms with collocations#FALSE

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Silverside”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 300:

     At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

4. (logicCategory:en:Logic#FALSE) Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
5. Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.

   a false witnessCategory:English terms with collocations#FALSE

6. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.

   a false friend, lover, or subject;  false to promisesCategory:English terms with collocations#FALSE

   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 52, line 25:

     I to my ſelf was falſe, e’re thou to me, […]

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

   • 1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 7:

     She had been in Baton Rouge but a little over two weeks, when suddenly his letters ceased. She awaited in anxious suspense a whole week — no letter. Another week dragged heavily, and her anxiety became a terrible fear. Was he sick and unable to write — was he dead — or, still more terrible thought, had he proved false?

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

7. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.

   a false conclusion;  a false construction in grammarCategory:English terms with collocations#FALSE

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 54, page 170:

     So downe he fell, as an huge rockie clift, / Whoſe falſe foundacion waues haue waſht away, […]

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

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.

   false scorpion (an arachnid)Category:English terms with collocations#FALSE

   false killer whale (a dolphin)Category:English terms with collocations#FALSE

   false powderpost beetles (members of Bostrichidae not in Lyctinae)Category:English terms with collocations#FALSE

10. (musicCategory:en:Music#FALSE) Out of tune.

Verb

false (third-person singular simple present falses, present participle falsing, simple past and past participle falsed)Category:English lemmas#FALSECategory:English verbs#FALSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. (electronicsCategory:en:Electronics#FALSE, telecommunicationsCategory:en:Telecommunications#FALSE, of a decoder) 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.
   • 2011 September 1, Harry Pearson, “London 2012 can legacy by verbing the noun”, in The Guardian‎, archived from the original on 22 September 2024:

     Records have been broken, races have been dedicated, dreams have been dreamed, starts have been falsed and nouns have been verbed.

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

3. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#FALSE) To violate, to betray (a promise, an agreement, one’s faith, etc.).

   Synonyms: double-cross, falsify, sell out; see also Thesaurus:betray

   • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

     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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

4. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#FALSE) To counterfeit, to forge.
5. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#FALSE) To make false, to corrupt from something true or real.

Adverb

false (comparative more false, superlative most false)Category:English lemmas#FALSECategory:English adverbs#FALSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. In a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely.

   Synonyms: dastardly, insincerely, traitorwise; see also Thesaurus:falsely, Thesaurus:treacherously

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 17, column 2:

     Sweet Lord, you play me falſe.

     Category:English terms with quotations#FALSE

Noun

false (plural falses)Category:English lemmas#FALSECategory:English nouns#FALSECategory:English countable nouns#FALSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

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.Category:English terms with usage examples#FALSE

Anagrams

• A.S.L.E.F., Leafs, alefs, fasel, feals, fleas, leafs, lefsa

Verb

falseCategory:Galician non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Galician verb forms#FALSECategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. inflection of falsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfal.se/Category:Italian 2-syllable words#FALSECategory:Italian terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE
• Rhymes: -alseCategory:Rhymes:Italian/alse#FALSECategory:Rhymes:Italian/alse/2 syllables#FALSE
• Hyphenation: fàl‧se

Adjective

false f plCategory:Italian non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Italian adjective forms#FALSECategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. feminine plural of falso

Adverb

falsē (comparative falsius, superlative falsissimē)Category:Latin lemmas#FALSECategory:Latin adverbs#FALSECategory:Latin entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. falsely, mistakenly

   Synonym: falsō

Noun

falseCategory:Latin non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Latin noun forms#FALSECategory:Latin entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. vocative singular of falsus

References

• “false”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• "false", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “false”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɑl.se/, [ˈfɑɫ.ze]Category:Old English terms with IPA pronunciation#FALSE

Noun

falseCategory:Old English non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Old English noun forms#FALSECategory:Old English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. dative singular of fals

Adjective

falseCategory:Old English non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Old English adjective forms#FALSECategory:Old English entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. inflection of fals:
   1. strong accusative feminine singular
   2. strong instrumental masculine/neuter singular
   3. strong nominative/accusative masculine/feminine plural
   4. weak nominative feminine/neuter singular
   5. weak accusative neuter singular

Verb

falseCategory:Portuguese non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Portuguese verb forms#FALSECategory:Portuguese entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. inflection of falsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Verb

falseCategory:Spanish non-lemma forms#FALSECategory:Spanish verb forms#FALSECategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#FALSECategory:Pages with entries#FALSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#FALSE

1. inflection of falsar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative