falsenessn.
/ˈfɔːlsnəs/, /ˈfɒlsnəs/, U.S. /ˈfɔlsnəs/, /ˈfɑlsnəs/ The quality of being false.† 4. The fact of failing or ‘giving way’. Obsolete.
1. Contrariety to fact; want of reality or truth; falsehood, unreality. †Also quasi-concrete anything false.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > lack of truth, falsity > [noun]
falseness1303
falselekea1350
untrothc1386
falsehooda1400
untruth1439
mensongec1450
fallax1530
falsity1579
fallacy1590
impropriety1611
improperness1612
wrongc1620
fallaciousness1644
fallacity1648
untrueness1652
unsubstantiality1838
unsubstantialness1860
incorrectitude1898
1303 R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne 1497 Ȝyf he deme fals iuggement, Þere falsnes ys, he shalle be shent.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 256 Ualsnesse me ne ssel zigge.
1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) iii. vi. 52 Racio or reason demyth bitwene..sothe and falsnesse.
1609 W. Shakespeare Louers Complaint in Sonnets sig. K3 His rudenesse..Did liuery falsenesse in a pride of truth.
1655 E. Nicholas Nicholas Papers (1892) II. 170 I noe whit repent me of the Collogne newes I sent you, since I was..confident of the falsnes.
1847 C. G. Addison Treat. Law Contracts ii. vii. §1 He.. did not know of the falseness of the affirmation at the time it was made.
1877 ‘Mrs. Forrester’ Mignon I. 6 The falseness of its illusions.
2. Deceitfulness, duplicity, imposture. Also quasi-concrete a deceit, an imposture.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > treachery or treason > [noun]
lewnessc1175
treachery?c1225
culvertshipa1250
falsedom1297
felony1297
traitorhead1303
traitory1303
falsenessc1330
falsityc1330
trainc1390
traitorhoodc1470
covin1487
traitorousness1571
Punic faith1590
traitorism1591
treacherousness1610
traitorship1645
bad faith1653
treasonableness1679
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > [noun] > quality of
swikeldoma1250
swikelhedea1250
falsehood1297
deceit1303
falsenessc1330
fraud?a1400
dolosity1401
guilefulnessa1425
feignedness1435
deceitfulness1509
deceivableness1526
knavishness1528
braidienessa1600
fallacy1641
trickiness1723
trickishness1788
deceptiveness1837
snakiness1842
sophistic1868
snakishness1901
society > morality > duty or obligation > recognition of duty > undutifulness > unfaithfulness > [noun]
untruthc893
untruenessOE
falsedom1297
falsehood1297
falsenessc1330
falsityc1330
untrothc1374
mistruthc1480
disloyalty1481
unfaithfulness1526
untrustiness1526
deloyalty1571
disloyalness1586
truth breach1597
faithlessness1598
bad faith1653
infaithfulness1685
trustlessness1828
unreliableness1844
disfaith1881
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > [noun] > fraudulent quality
falsenessc1330
fraudulence1610
fraudulency1630
fraudulentness1727
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 265 He sent vnto þe pape, &..a new falsnes did schape.
c1386 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Prol. & Tale 423 His infinite falsenesse Ther coude no man writen.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 7 Se ȝe that no man bigile ȝou bi..veyn falsnes.
1513 Act 5 Hen. VIII c. 4 §1 The said Deceits and Falseness.
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 196 He was..arreigned and iudged for his falsenesse.
1649 E. Reynolds Israels Prayer (new ed.) ii. 71 The falsenes..of our corrupt hearts.
1732 D. Waterland Christianity vindicated against Infidelity 38 They that reject Superstition in Theory, and yet retain it in Life..do but expose their own Folly and Falseness.
1846 R. C. Trench Notes Miracles xx. 323 Another part of his falseness was, that not daring directly to find fault with the Lord, he seeks obliquely to reach him through the people.
3. Faithlessness, inconstancy, treachery. Also an instance of this.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unfaithfulness > [noun]
untruthc893
untruenessOE
falsehood1297
falsenessc1330
untrothc1374
mistruthc1480
disloyalty1481
unfaithfulness?a1505
untrustiness1526
infidelity1529
deloyalty1571
disloyalness1586
faithlessness1598
recreancy1602
infaithfulness1685
trustlessness1828
disfaith1881
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [noun]
unsteadfastnessa1300
falsenessc1330
unstablenessc1380
varyingc1380
inconstancec1386
variance1390
geriness1412
instabilityc1422
changeability?a1425
mutabilitya1425
changec1425
changeableness1447
unconstancec1449
unstabilitya1470
mutableness1481
unsureness1481
instableness1483
variation1509
inconstancy1526
shittleness1530
fickleness1548
unconstancy1548
unconstantness1551
inconstantness?a1562
pliableness1562
fast and loose1575
volubility1603
levity1604
unconstability1611
flexibleness1623
vagrancy1642
self-inconsistency1655
inconsistency1665
flittingnessa1680
easiness1705
inconsistence1713
versatility1755
contrariety1762
vibration1785
changefulness1791
girouettism1825
pirouettism1839
weathercockism1843
pirouettiveness1844
volatileness1849
unfixity1856
ficklety1888
society > morality > duty or obligation > recognition of duty > undutifulness > treachery > [noun]
swikec893
swikedomc893
swikelnessa1023
lewnessc1175
treachery?c1225
treason?c1225
culvertshipa1250
swikeheada1250
swikeldoma1250
swikelhedea1250
felony1297
traitorhead1303
traitory1303
falsenessc1330
trainc1390
proditionc1425
traitorhoodc1470
covin1487
practicea1513
tradiment1535
traitorousness1571
Punic faith1590
traitorism1591
perfidy1592
perfidiousness1597
perfidity1607
treacherousness1610
traitorship1645
Carthaginian faith1711
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 55 Falsnes brewes bale.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. xix. 173 Falsnesse ich [Iesus] fynde in þy [Iudas] faire speche.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 39 It was lost with tresoune and falsnas.
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cclxxx. 171 a He wolde make y traytours derely abye their falsnesse.
1658 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man iv. §8. 105 Some inward guilt of falseness, for which that oath must be the cloak.
1709 H. Prideaux Lett. (1875) 203 Beeing for his falsenesse in the management of that trust broken and discarded.
1876 G. Bancroft Hist. U.S. (rev. ed.) IV. x. 386 His predecessor..had recorded their falseness and cruelty.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > dismay > [noun] > failure of the heart
defaultinga1382
falseness1552
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Falsenes of herte, demissio.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie F 102 A falsenesse of hart and feeble courage.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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