spurious

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   intended to deceive

   a spurious work of art

2. 2
   adj

   born out of wedlock

   the dominions of both rulers passed away to their spurious or doubtful offspring- E.A.Freeman

3. 3
   adj

   False, not authentic, not genuine.

   His argument was spurious and had no validity.

4. 4
   adj

   Extraneous, stray; not relevant or wanted.

   I tried to concentrate on the matter in hand, but spurious thoughts kept intruding.

5. 5
   adj

   Bastardly, illegitimate.

   […] who alſo in her prime of love, Spouſal embraces, vitiated with Gold, Though offer’d only, by the ſent conceiv’d Her ſpurious firſt-born; Treaſon againſt me?

6. 6
   adj

   plausible but false

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin spurius (“illegitimate, bastardly”), possibly related to sperno or from Etruscan.