falsehood

UK: /ˈfɔːlshʊd/ US: /ˈfɔlshʊd/ ,(fôls′hŏŏd)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

false•hood /ˈfɔlshʊd/   n. 

1. [countable] a false statement or lie;
   something false, such as an untrue idea or belief.
2. [uncountable] the act or practice of telling lies.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

false•hood  (fôls′hŏŏd), n. 

1. a false statement;
   lie.
2. something false;
   an untrue idea, belief, etc.:
   The Nazis propagated the falsehood of racial superiority.
3. the act of lying or making false statements.
4. lack of conformity to truth or fact.
5. [Obs.] deception.

• Middle English falshede. See false, -hood 1250–1300

Synonyms

• 1. Falsehood, fib, lie, untruth refer to something untrue or incorrect. A falsehood is a statement that distorts or suppresses the truth, in order to deceive:
  to tell a falsehood about one's ancestry in order to gain acceptance.
  A fib denotes a trivial falsehood, and is often used to characterize that which is not strictly true:
  a polite fib.
  A lie is a vicious falsehood:
  to tell a lie about one's neighbor.
  An untruth is an incorrect statement, either intentionally misleading (less harsh, however, than falsehood or lie) or arising from misunderstanding or ignorance:
  I'm afraid you are telling an untruth.
• 3. untruthfulness, inveracity, mendacity.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

falsehood / ˈfɔːlsˌhʊd/ noun

1. the quality of being untrue
2. an untrue statement; lie
3. the act of deceiving or lying