falsity

English

Etymology

false +‎ -ity

Noun

falsity (plural falsities)

1. (countable) Something that is false; an untrue assertion.

   The belief that the world is flat is a falsity.

2. (uncountable) The characteristic of being untrue.

   The falsity of that statement is easily proven.

Usage notes

Instances may be quoted in abundance from old authors to show that the first three words are often strictly synonymous; but the modern tendency has been decidedly in favor of separating them, falsehood standing for the concrete thing, an intentional lie; falseness, for the quality of being guiltily false or treacherous: as, he is justly despised for his falseness to his oath; and falsity, for the quality of being false without blame: as, the falsity of reasoning. — the Century Dictionary, 1911.

Synonyms

• fabrication
• falsehood
• falseness
• falsity
• fiction
• untruth
• See also Wikisaurus:falsehood

Antonyms

• truth
• verity

Translations

untrue assertion

Czech: nepravda (cs) f.

Romanian: falsitate (ro) f., neadevăr (ro) n.

characteristic of being untrue

Czech: nepravdivost (cs) f.

Romanian: necinste (ro) f., falsitate (ro) f.

References

• “falsity” in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
• falsity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “falsity” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• "falsity" in Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.