One of two options on a true-or-false test.
"I circled the answer for false when I wasn't sure if the statement was correct."
In plain English: A false is a lie or something that is not true.
"The police arrested him for making false statements during his testimony."
Usage: Use "false" as a noun to refer specifically to an incorrect option in a true-or-false question, such as selecting the false statement. It should not be used as a standalone noun for any other concept like a lie or error.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
"gave false testimony under oath"
"false tales of bravery"
Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
"The technician confirmed that setting the signal to false would disable the safety lockout mechanism."
one of two states of a Boolean variable; logic 0.
In plain English: False means something is not true or correct.
"The key was false, so the door would not open."
Usage: Use "false" to describe something that is not true or incorrect in an everyday sense, rather than referring to its technical role as a logic zero in computing. It correctly modifies nouns like statements, claims, or information to indicate they lack truth.
in a disloyal and faithless manner
"he behaved treacherously"
"his wife played him false"
in a dishonest and disloyal way; falsely.
"The spy provided false information to his handlers while secretly passing secrets to the enemy."
In plain English: False means not true or incorrect.
"The alarm clock rang false and woke me up an hour too early."
Usage: Use "false" as an adverb only when describing someone acting in a dishonest or disloyal manner, such as giving false testimony. In most other cases, replace it with the adverb "falsely."
The word "false" entered English from the Old English fals, which carried meanings like counterfeit or mistaken. This term ultimately traces back to the Latin falsus, meaning "counterfeit," derived from a verb that means to deceive.