false
/fɔls/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.63 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
adj
Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
adj
Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
Example Sentences
- "Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber."
- "false legislation, false punishment"
- "false teeth"
- "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."
- "a false witness"
- "a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises"
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /fɔls/
- British English: /fɔːls/
Usage
Inflected Forms
falser (comparative)
falsest (superlative)
falses (present, singular)
falsing (participle, present)
falsed (participle, past)
falsed (past)
more false (comparative)
most false (superlative)
falses (plural)