GeezerVison

See also: FALSE and falsé

English

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”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɔːls/, /fɒls/
- Audio (London, /fɔːls/): (file)
(General American, without the cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /fɔls/
(General American, cot–caught merger, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /fɑls/
- Audio (California): (file)
(Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /fɒls/
(Australia, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /fɔls/
Rhymes: -ɔːls, -ɒls

Adjective

false (comparative falser, superlative falsest)

(of a statement) 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.
Based on factually incorrect premises.
false legislation, false punishment
Spurious, artificial.
false teeth
- 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.
(logic) 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
- 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, […]
- 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?
Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar
- 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, […]
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)

false killer whale (a dolphin)

false powderpost beetles (members of Bostrichidae not in Lyctinae)
(music) Out of tune.

Synonyms

lease

Derived terms

Collocations

nouns

false alarm
false belief
false conclusion
false consciousness
false hope
false idea
false impression
false imprisonment
false information
false name
false position
false pretenses
false prophet
false sense
false start
false statement
false step
false teeth
false witness

adverbs

completely false
entirely false
utterly false
patently false
totally false
obviously false
clearly false
simply false
absolutely false
necessarily false

Translations

untrue, not factual, wrong

Arabic: زَائِف (zāʔif), بَاطِل (bāṭil), كَاذِب (kāḏib)
Egyptian Arabic: فلصو m (falsu)
Armenian: կեղծ (hy) (keġc), սխալ (hy) (sxal)
Assamese: মিছা (misa), ভুৱা (bhua)
Asturian: falsu
Basque: faltsu
Breton: gaou (br)
Bulgarian: грешен (bg) (grešen)
Catalan: fals (ca), incorrecte (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 假 (zh) (jiǎ), 虛偽 / 虚伪 (zh) (xūwěi), 虛假 / 虚假 (zh) (xūjiǎ)
Cornish: gaw
Crimean Tatar: yañlış
Czech: nepravdivý (cs) m
Dalmatian: fuals
Danish: falsk (da), usand
Dutch: onwaar (nl), vals (nl), fout (nl), onjuist (nl)
Esperanto: malvera, nevera, falsa
Estonian: vale, väär
Finnish: valheellinen (fi), epätosi (fi), väärä (fi), (prefix) vale-
French: faux (fr), incorrect (fr)
Galician: falso (gl)
Georgian: ცრუ (cru), ტყუილი (ka) (ṭq̇uili)
German: falsch (de), unwahr (de)
Greek: ψευδής (el) (psevdís)
Ancient Greek: ψευδής (pseudḗs)
Haitian Creole: fo
Hebrew: שקרי m (shikrí), לא נכון m (ló nakhón)
Hindi: झूठा (hi) (jhūṭhā), खोटा (hi) (khoṭā)
Hungarian: hamis (hu)
Icelandic: rangur (is), ósannur (is)
Ido: falsa (io)
Indonesian: salah (id)
Ingrian: perätöin
Interlingua: false
Irish: bréagach, bréige
Italian: falso (it), errato (it), bugiardo (it) m
Japanese: 偽 (ja) (にせ, nise), 虚偽 (ja) (きょぎ, kyogi)
Korean: 거짓 (ko) (geojit)
Kyrgyz: жаңылыш (ky) (jaŋılış), ката (ky) (kata), жасалма (ky) (jasalma), арамза (ky) (aramza)
Latin: falsus, mendāx (la)
Latvian: nepareizs, kļūdains
Lithuanian: klaidingas (lt), neteisingas (lt)
Malay: salah (ms)
Māori: patē, parau, horihori, meho, tipatipa, teka, hāwatewate, kēā
Mauritian Creole: fos
Norman: faux
Occitan: fals (oc)
Old English: lēas
Persian: غلط (fa) (ġalat)
Plautdietsch: faulsch
Polish: fałszywy (pl), nieprawdziwy (pl), błędny (pl)
Portuguese: falso (pt), errado (pt)
Romanian: fals (ro), neadevăr (ro)
Russian: фальши́вый (ru) (falʹšívyj), ло́жный (ru) (lóžnyj), непра́вильный (ru) (neprávilʹnyj)
Sanskrit: असत् (sa) (ásat), असत्य (sa) (asatya), अशुद्ध (sa) (aśuddha)
Vedic Sanskrit: आसत् (ā́sat)
Sardinian: fàlsu
Scottish Gaelic: breugach, fuadain
Spanish: falso (es), sacha (es) (Ecuador), ful (es)
Swedish: falsk (sv), osann (sv)
Sylheti: ꠝꠤꠍꠣ (misá)
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: yanlış (tr), yalan (tr)
Ottoman Turkish: یالان (yalan)
Ukrainian: неправди́вий (nepravdývyj), хи́бний m (xýbnyj)
Urdu: جھوٹھا (jhūṭhā), غلط (ġalat), کھوٹا (khōṭā)
Vietnamese: sai (vi)
Volapük: dobik (vo), neveratik (vo)
Welsh: anwir, anghywir (cy), ffug (cy), gau (cy)
Yiddish: פֿאַלש (falsh)

based on factually incorrect premises

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: perusteeton (fi), väärä (fi)
Ido: falsa (io)
Māori: hewa
Plautdietsch: faulsch
Serbo-Croatian: kriv (sh) m, pogrešan (sh) m
Turkish:
Ottoman Turkish: یالان (yalan)

spurious, artificial — see also spurious

Armenian: կեղծ (hy) (keġc)
Asturian: falsu
Bulgarian: изкуствен (bg) (izkustven), фалшив (bg) (falšiv)
Catalan: fals (ca), postís, artificial (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Czech: falešný (cs), imitovaný, nepravý, umělý (cs)
Danish: kunstig (da)
Dutch: vals (nl), onecht (nl)
Finnish: keinotekoinen (fi), teko- (fi), keino- (fi), vale- (fi)
French: faux (fr), artificiel (fr)
Galician: falso (gl)
Georgian: ყალბი (q̇albi)
German: falsch (de), unecht (de)
Greek: ψευδής (el) (psevdís), πλαστός (el) (plastós), κίβδηλος (el) (kívdilos), νόθος (el) (nóthos)
Ancient Greek: πλαστός (plastós)
Hebrew: מזוייף m (mezuyáf), תותב (he) m (totáv) (prosthetic), תותבת f (totévet) (prosthetic), מזוייפת f (mezuyefet), מזויפים m pl (mezuyafim), מזויפות f pl (mezuyafot), מלאכותי (he) m (mel'akhuti), מלאכותית f (mel'akhutit), מלאכותיים m pl (mel'akhutiyim), מלאכותיות f pl (mel'akhutiyot)
Hungarian: hamis (hu), mű- (hu)
Ido: falsa (io)
Indonesian: buatan (id)
Interlingua: false
Irish: bréag-, bréagach, bréige, falsa
Italian: posticcio (it), finto (it)
Latin: fictus
Latvian: viltots, mākslīgs
Lithuanian: dirbtinis (lt), netikras
Malay: palsu (ms)
Polish: sztuczny (pl)
Portuguese: falso (pt), artificial (pt)
Romanian: fals (ro), artificial (ro), contrafăcut (ro)
Scottish Gaelic: breugach, meallta, mealltach, fuadain
Serbo-Croatian: lažan (sh) m
Spanish: postizo (es)
Swedish: konstgjord (sv)
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: yapay (tr), sahte (tr)
Ottoman Turkish: یالان (yalan), یالانجی (yalancı), ساخته (sahte)

state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result

Bulgarian: неверен (bg) (neveren)
Catalan: fals (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Dutch: onwaar (nl), vals (nl)
Estonian: väär
Finnish: epätosi (fi)
French: faux (fr)
German: falsch (de)
Hebrew: שקרי m (shikrí)
Hungarian: hamis (hu)
Ido: falsa (io)
Irish: bréagach
Italian: falso (it)
Japanese: 偽 (ja) (ぎ, gi)
Norman: faux
Portuguese: falso (pt)
Romanian: fals (ro) n
Russian: ложь (ru) f (ložʹ)
Serbo-Croatian: netočan (sh)
Spanish: falso (es)
Swedish: falskt (sv)
Turkish: yanlış (tr)
Ukrainian: хи́ба f (xýba)
Vietnamese: sai (vi)

uttering falsehood — see also fallacious

Arabic: كَاذِب (kāḏib)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: epärehellinen (fi)
Hungarian: hamis (hu)

not faithful or loyal

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: petollinen (fi), epälojaali (fi)
Hungarian: hűtlen (hu), hamis (hu)
Serbo-Croatian: lažan (sh) m

not well founded, erroneous

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: virheellinen (fi), väärä (fi), kelvoton (fi)
Hungarian: hamis (hu)
Ido: falsa (io)
Māori: mākiri
Serbo-Croatian: pogrešan (sh) m, kriv (sh) m

not essential or permanent

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: vale- (fi), väliaikainen (fi)
Hungarian: ál- (hu)

music: out of tune

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Finnish: epävireinen (fi), falski (fi)
Hungarian: hamis (hu)
Serbo-Croatian: falš (sh)
Swedish: falskt (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} palsu (id)
Woiwurrung: ^{(please verify)} marreen

Verb

false (third-person singular simple present falses, present participle falsing, simple past and past participle falsed)

(electronics, telecommunications, of a decoder) 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.
- 2011 September 1, Harry Pearson, “London 2012 can legacy by verbing the noun”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, 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.
(obsolete) 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.
(obsolete) To counterfeit, to forge.
(obsolete) To make false, to corrupt from something true or real.

Adverb

false (comparative more false, superlative most false)

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.

Noun

false (plural 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.

Anagrams

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

Galician

Verb

false

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

Italian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈfal.se/
Rhymes: -alse
Hyphenation: fàl‧se

Adjective

false f pl

feminine plural of falso

Latin

Adverb

falsē (comparative falsius, superlative falsissimē)

falsely, mistakenly
Synonym: falsō

Noun

false

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.

Old English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈfɑl.se/, [ˈfɑɫ.ze]

Noun

false

dative singular of fals

Adjective

false

inflection of fals:

Portuguese

Verb

false

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

Spanish

Verb

false

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

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