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Meaning & use

falsely

adverb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈfɔːlsli/
US/ˈfɔːlsli/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    In a way that is untrue, wrong, or not based on the facts.

    Grammar: Comes before a verb or participle: falsely accused, or after the verb: he claimed falsely.

    Patterns

    • falsely accuse someone
    • falsely claim something
    • falsely believe something

    The man was falsely accused of stealing the necklace.

    She falsely believed that the exam was canceled.

    The label falsely claimed the juice was organic.

  2. adverbnot comparable

    In a way that is not sincere, giving a deceptive or fake impression.

    Grammar: Modifies adjectives or verbs to show something is fake: falsely cheerful, falsely modest.

    Patterns

    • falsely cheerful
    • falsely modest

    He smiled falsely and shook the rival's hand.

    She spoke in a falsely sweet voice.

    The salesman was falsely friendly.

Common combinations

falsely accused
The teacher was falsely accused of cheating.
falsely claim
The ad falsely claims the product cures colds.
falsely imprisoned
He was falsely imprisoned for six years.
falsely represent
The seller falsely represented the car's condition.
falsely reassuring
The report was falsely reassuring.

Synonyms and how they differ

wrongly
Wrongly just means incorrectly and need not suggest lying, while falsely often hints at untruth or deceit.
untruthfully
Untruthfully stresses that the speaker is lying, while falsely can describe a mistaken belief too.
mistakenly
Mistakenly means by error without intending to mislead, which is a gentler idea than falsely.
deceptively
Deceptively means in a way that creates a misleading impression, often without any statement being untrue.

Opposites

truthfullycorrectlyhonestly

Word family

false adjective
not true or not real
falsehood noun
a lie
falsify verb
to change records or facts to deceive
falseness noun
the quality of being untrue or insincere
falsity noun
the fact of being untrue

Commonly confused: falsely or fallaciously?

falsely vs fallaciously

Fallaciously means based on faulty reasoning, while falsely means untruthfully or incorrectly.

Practice

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