false

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Not true or correct.

   He gave false testimony under oath.

2. 2
   adj

   Not real; made to look genuine in order to deceive.

   The suitcase had a false bottom for hiding money.

3. 3
   adj

   Meant to trick or mislead people.

   He obtained the money under false pretenses.

Common collocations

• false hope Adjective + noun

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…

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