falsefalse /fɔːls $ fɒːls/ ●●● W3 adjective 
Please decide whether the following statements are true or false. false accusationsRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say not true rather than false, apart from in the fixed expression true or false: What he said was false. ➔ What he said was not true.2wrong based on incorrect information or ideas: I don’t want to give you any false hopes. The statement gives us a false impression that we understand something when we do not. false assumptions about people of other cultures a false sense of security (=a feeling of being safe when you are not really safe)► see thesaurus at wrong3not real a)not real, but intended to seem real and deceive people: The drugs were hidden in a suitcase with a false bottom. The man had given a false name and address. b)artificialfalse teeth/hair/eyelashes etc► see thesaurus at artificial4not sincere not sincere or honest, and pretending to have feelings that you do not really have: She’s so false. a false laugh ‘You played brilliantly.’ ‘Not really,’ Ian replied with false modesty.5false economy something that you think will save you money but which will really cost you more: It’s a false economy not to have travel insurance.6under false pretences if you get something under false pretences, you get it by deceiving people: He was accused of obtaining money under false pretences.7false move/step a small movement or action that will result in harm: One false move and you’re dead.8 false imprisonment/arrest the illegal act of putting someone in prison or arresting them for a crime they have not committedTHESAURUSfalse not real, but intended to seem real and deceive people: · He uses a false name.fake made to look or seem like something else, especially something worth a lot more money: · fake fur· a fake Rolex watch· fake designer goods· a fake $100 billforged a forged official document or bank note has been illegally made to look like a real one: · a forged passport· a forged £50 notecounterfeit /ˈkaʊntəfɪt $ -tər-/ counterfeit money or goods have been illegally made to look exactly like something else: · How do you detect counterfeit currency?· counterfeit drugsimitation made to look real – used especially about guns, bombs etc or about materials: · The two men used an imitation firearm to carry out the robbery.· imitation leather/silk/silverphoney/phony /ˈfəʊni $ ˈfoʊ-/ disapproving informal false – used when you think someone is deliberately trying to deceive people: · She put on a phoney New York accent.· The doctors were accused of supplying phoney medical certificates.· There’s something phoney about him.· phony advertisementsspurious /ˈspjʊəriəs $ ˈspjʊr-/ false and giving a wrong impression about someone or something: · spurious claims· That’s a spurious argument.· The company was trying to get some spurious respectability by using our name.
WORD ORIGINfalse
Origin:
900-1000 Latin falsus, from fallere ‘to deceive’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Merry Christmas,'' she said with false heartiness.
- Decide whether these statements are true or false.
- He gave false and misleading statements to the court.
- He gave a false name and address to the police.
- He gave the clerk a false name and address in case the police were looking for him.
- Her claims of being able to recall past lives were later proved false.
- Her face took on a look of false delight.
- Her smile and welcome seemed false.
- Her suitcase had a false bottom, containing 2 kilos of heroin.
- Many false assumptions were made about the planet Jupiter.
- My mother avoided visiting Bali on the quite false assumption that the place is full of tourists.
- Nearly a third of adults in the UK have false teeth.
- Please decide whether the following statements are true or false.
- Rosenberg had supplied a false name and address.
- She was heavily made up, with false eyelashes and bright red lipstick.
- The article gives a totally false impression of life in Russia today.
- The title gives a false impression of what the book is actually about.
- We were given false information about his background.
- It did not disconcert Sly that he found himself addressing an audience who were all wearing false dingo ears.
- Taken at face value the words found sinister and can convey a false impression like some sort of second-rate horror movie.
- The personality itself can he divided into two parts: false personality and personality proper.
- These are serious charges that are wholly unfounded and completely false.
- With these he could begin to construct the illustrated history of his subject, starting with a false name.
THESAURUS
not real, but intended to seem real and deceive people: · He uses a false name.
made to look or seem like something else, especially something worth a lot more money: · fake fur· a fake Rolex watch· fake designer goods· a fake $100 bill
a forged official document or bank note has been illegally made to look like a real one: · a forged passport· a forged £50 note
counterfeit money or goods have been illegally made to look exactly like something else: · How do you detect counterfeit currency?· counterfeit drugs
made to look real – used especially about guns, bombs etc or about materials: · The two men used an imitation firearm to carry out the robbery.· imitation leather/silk/silver
disapproving informal false – used when you think someone is deliberately trying to deceive people: · She put on a phoney New York accent.· The doctors were accused of supplying phoney medical certificates.· There’s something phoney about him.· phony advertisements
false and giving a wrong impression about someone or something: · spurious claims· That’s a spurious argument.· The company was trying to get some spurious respectability by using our name.
Longman Language Activatormade to look real for dishonest purposes not real, but made to look real in order to deceive people: · He gave the clerk a false name and address in case the police were looking for him.· Her suitcase had a false bottom, containing 2 kilos of heroin.
use this about objects or documents that are not real, but are intended to look like something more important or valuable: · They were selling fake Rolex watches on the market stall.· a fake driver's license· Whitehorn pleaded guilty to possession of equipment to make fake identification documents.
a forged official document or bank note has been illegally made to look like a real one: · He came into the country using a forged visa.· a forged £50 note
informal something that is phoney is false, but usually in an obvious way so that people realize it is not real: · I left a phoney name but the right telephone number.· Ever since he came back from London, John's been talking with a phony British accent.
an object that is made to look real for dishonest purposes a copy of a valuable object or painting that is intended to make people think it is real: · Is the vase a genuine antique or a fake?
a copy of a document, painting, or banknote that is made to look real for dishonest purposes: · The painting, believed to be by Renoir, turned out to be a very clever forgery.
a dummy object is one that is made to look like the real object but cannot be used: · dummy rifles· Semionov threatened the pilot with a dummy hand grenade and forced him to land the plane.
made to look real or natural not real or natural, but made to look real or do the job of something real: · On the table was a vase filled with artificial flowers.· We have one of those electric heaters with artificial logs.· It took Frank a while to learn to walk with the artificial leg.
not real - use this about teeth, nails, beards etc: · Nearly a third of adults in the UK have false teeth.· She was heavily made up, with false eyelashes and bright red lipstick.
: fake fur/jewellery/antiques etc (=made to seem like real fur, jewellery etc, especially in order to make people think it is more valuable than it really is) · Her coat had a fake fur collar and cuffs.· You can buy fake Gucci bags all over the city.
use this about materials that look like something valuable, but are actually made of something less expensive: · Ted was wearing an imitation leather jacket. · The dark blue sweater had imitation pearls sewn across the front.
not real, but made to look, feel etc like a real thing, situation, or feeling: · It was one of those horrible simulated-leather 'executive' chairs.· Models of the bridge have been tested under simulated earthquake conditions.
a name that someone uses that is not their real name a name that someone uses instead of their real name, so that people will not find out who they really are: · None of them had ever heard of Giles Williams, which was clearly a false name.give/use a false name: · It is illegal to give a false name to your employer.under a false name (=using a false name): · The woman was a foreigner travelling under a false name.
the name used by an actor, singer etc instead of their real name: · Greta Garbo was the stage name of Greta Gustavson, born in Stockholm in 1905.
a name used by someone, especially a writer, instead of their real name: · "Saki" was the pseudonym of the writer H.H.Monroe.under the pseudonym (=using the pseudonym): · Morton wrote a weekly column in "The Daily Telegraph' under the pseudonym "Beachcomber'.
a name used by a writer instead of their real name: · The name Voltaire was in fact a pen name -- his real name was Francois Marie Arouet.under the pen name (=using the pen name): · She wrote her novels under the pen name George Eliot, because the publishers would not accept a manuscript written by a woman.
a word meaning "also known as", used when giving someone's real name, together with a different name they also use or are known by, especially because they are a criminal: · Carlos, alias "The Jackal', is wanted by police in several countries.· We were introduced to Mrs Taylor, alias Meg Dods, author of the Housewife's Manual.
an abbreviation meaning "also known as", used when giving someone's real name together with a different name that they use or are known by, especially because they are a criminal: · Standing there in front of me was Peter Downs, a.k.a. "The Leithgate Strangler".
if you do something under an assumed name , you do it using a name that is not your real name, especially in order to do it dishonestly or secretly: · He had rented a car under an assumed name.· She entered the private clinic under an assumed name, but the press still managed to find out.
if someone goes by the name of something, they tell people that this is their name, when in fact it is not: · Herbert always hated his original name, so he went by the name of David.· The photographs resembled a man who lived in New York and went by the name of Ivan Denisovich.
using a different name from your real name: · They registered at the hotel under the name of Smith.· Bollard set up a company under the name of Mr M. Roberts.
pretending to be friendly, sincere etc someone who is insincere says things that they do not really mean, for example when they praise you or say something friendly: · 'It's so good to see you again,' she said, with an insincere smile.· an insincere compliment· He always praised everyone, so it was difficult to tell if he was being insincere or not.
pretending to be morally good or to have beliefs that you do not really have: · I think it's a little hypocritical to get married in a church when you don't believe in God.· Politicians are so hypocritical - they preach about 'family values' while they all seem to be having affairs.
especially American, informal someone who pretends to be good, clever, kind etc when really they are not: · When I realized what a phoney he was I was devastated.· I can't stand her -- she's such a phoney.
pretending that you like someone by behaving in a friendly way towards them when you are with them, but behaving in an unkind way when they are not there: · I've never met anyone so two-faced: she's sweet and charming to your face, and then goes and complains about you to the boss!
false emotions are not real and the person is only pretending to feel them: · "Merry Christmas," she said with false heartiness.· Her face took on a look of false delight.
: mock surprise/horror/indignation etc surprise etc that you pretend to feel, especially as a joke: · Diana gave her cousin a look of mock horror and then disappeared through the door, smiling.in mock surprise/horror etc (=showing mock surprise, horror etc): · The grey eyes widened in mock surprise. "How unusual to meet you here," she said sarcastically.· "It's not fair," he complained, pulling at his hair in mock distress. "I really wanted to visit your parents!"
intended to deceive words or actions that are deceitful are intended to deceive someone: · He got the contract, but only by being deceitful.· I don't trust her. I think she has a deceitful smile.· The company has engaged in deceitful practices for years.
misleading information or statements make people believe something that is not true, especially by not giving them all the facts: · The advertisements were deliberately misleading and false.· In court Robbins made misleading statements about his involvement.it is misleading to say/treat/speak of etc: · It would be misleading to say that the recession will soon be over.
British /under false pretenses American if you do something under false pretences , you do it by pretending that the situation is different from what it really is: · He got a loan from the bank under false pretences.· Immigration officers attempt to catch people entering the country under false pretenses.
when what someone says is not true: it's/that's not true · "No one ever helps me." "That's not true."· You're believing what Mike's saying and it's just not true, he doesn't have a clue what's happening.it is not true that · It is not true that all women want to go out to work.
not true. Untrue is more formal than not true: · The report has proven this information to be untrue.it is untrue that: · It is untrue that the college broke the terms of the contract.completely/totally/absolutely/simply untrue: · The interviewer made it sound like I thought it was okay to hit a woman, which is totally untrue.
not true or not correct: · He gave a false name and address to the police.· The article gives a totally false impression of life in Russia today.· Decide whether these statements are true or false.· Her claims of being able to recall past lives were later proved false.
if what someone says or believes is happening is not the case , it is not happening and what they say or believe is not true: · Recent reports suggest that violent crime is increasing, but this is simply not the case.· People think if kids are aware of a particular brand or ad campaign, they'll buy the product, but that's not the case.
if there is no truth in or to something that has been said or written, it is completely untrue: · There is no truth in the rumour that Collins and his wife are about to divorce.· Robinson says there is no truth to the reports that he is ready to resign.
misleading information or statements make people believe something that is not true, especially by not giving them all the facts: · The holiday brochure is deliberately misleading, because the hotels it shows are not the ones you actually stay in.· These statistics give a misleading impression of what is happening to the economy.
if an explanation, story etc does not ring true , it does not seem to be true even though you are not quite sure why you think it is untrue: · There was something odd about her story, something that didn't ring true.· One of the jurors said that Hill's explanation just didn't ring true.
: trumped-up charge/accusation/case etc something someone says, a legal case etc that is false and has been invented, especially in order to harm someone else for political purposes: · He had been arrested by the secret police on trumped-up charges of spying.· Zola believed that the case against Dreyfus was trumped-up and utterly false.
beliefs/ideas/actions etc · People used to believe that the world was flat, but we now know this is wrong.· Alice felt she had made the wrong decision.get the wrong impression · I wouldn't like you to get the wrong impression -- I do enjoy the course, but I just find it very hard work.
: mistaken idea/belief/impression etc an idea, belief etc that people believe is right but is in fact wrong - use this as a polite way of saying someone is wrong: · Many people have the mistaken idea that AIDS cannot spread through heterosexual sex.under the mistaken belief/impression etc: · Pauline was under the mistaken impression that I didn't like her.
based on wrong ideas or incorrect information: · He gave false and misleading statements to the court.· My mother avoided visiting Bali on the quite false assumption that the place is full of tourists.give a false impression/belief: · The title gives a false impression of what the book is actually about.
formal based on incorrect or incomplete information: · There were erroneous reports that the company had issued false statements. erroneous assumption/view/belief etc: · Ricci's book tries to correct this erroneous view of ancient China.
: misplaced trust/loyalty/admiration/concern etc trust, loyalty etc that is wrong because there is no good reason for feeling it: · Richards said, with misplaced confidence, that the ship was 'unsinkable'.· I suppose her chief fault was misplaced trust, rather than any real crime.(do something out of) a sense of misplaced loyalty/admiration etc: · Despite her doubts, she supported the new legislation out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to the leadership.
done with good intentions but based on information or an idea that is wrong: · These decision now seem misguided, if not downright wrong.misguided efforts/attempt/action etc: · It was another of his misguided attempts to save money.(do something in the) misguided belief/hope: · The taxes were introduced in the misguided belief that they would reduce foreign competition.
wrong and a little stupid, because of being based on a lack of understanding: · The young man's speech was full of wrongheaded ideas about "the evils of capitalism".· wrongheaded economic policies
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Please decide whether the following statements are true or false. I don’t want to give you any false hopes. The statement gives us a false impression that we understand something when we do not. false assumptions about people of other cultures a false sense of security (=a feeling of being safe when you are not really safe) ‘You played brilliantly.’ ‘Not really,’ Ian replied with false modesty. One false move and you’re dead.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Earthquakes here are rare and this has lulled people into a false sense of security (=made people think they were safe when they were not). To say that the proposal has no disadvantages at all is patently untrue.
Please decide whether the following statements are true or false. I don’t want to give you any false hopes. The statement gives us a false impression that we understand something when we do not. false assumptions about people of other cultures a false sense of security (=a feeling of being safe when you are not really safe) ‘You played brilliantly.’ ‘Not really,’ Ian replied with false modesty. One false move and you’re dead.· There were a lot of false accusations throughout the trial.
· He gave the police a false address.
· Both theories are based on a single wrong assumption.
· the mistaken belief that cannabis is not an addictive drug
· His claims were later found to be false.
(=one that is not true)· The officers were accused of extracting false confessions from some of the prisoners.
· We don't want to give people false hopes.
(=when someone pretends to be another person)· He used a fake passport to assume a false identity.
· He had the mistaken impression that Julia was married.· Many people got the false impression she didn’t care.
· He was jailed for providing false information to the police.
Earthquakes here are rare and this has lulled people into a false sense of security (=made people think they were safe when they were not). (=made by mistake)· One wrong move and the business might never recover.
(=in the wrong direction)· One false move, and she’d fall over the edge.
(=optimism based on wrong ideas or information)· In his speech he warned against false optimism about the immediate future.
(also a fake passport informal)· He used a false passport to enter Kenya.
To say that the proposal has no disadvantages at all is patently untrue. (=one that will not be kept)· I didn’t make any false promises.
(=someone whose claims about the future are not true)
· He says that the rumours are completely unfounded.· False rumors began to spread that troops were massing on the border.
(=a feeling that you are safe, which is not actually true)· They were lulled into a false sense of security.
(=one that is not true)· She is accused of making false statements to obtain a passport.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Museums and galleries as false delay, he wrote.· Our awareness of the euphemism is shown by our tendency to laugh at what we regard as false pretension.· He had attacked Eliot for worshipping culture, which I considered about as false an imputation as could be imagined.· Musicians, actors and celebrities all count as false gods. 13.· Our hearer may even reject them outright as false.
· This proved a difficult task as the story was completely false.· These are serious charges that are wholly unfounded and completely false.· Thunderstorms cause completely false indications of bearings, including the overhead.· Most of his assumptions have proven to be completely false.· Some people freeze up and look completely false.· The report clearly shows that Opposition warnings about what would happen after the reforms have proved to be completely false.
· Don't try and set up something that is quite patently false.
· The impression you gave that I provided your reporter with new information following the meeting is totally false.· A: No, they are totally false.· Yet anyone who wishes to understand the latent determinants of human behaviour would be unwise to reject this excuse as totally false.· But the end result still runs the risk of leaving the viewer with a totally false impression.· The former might result in a totally false comparison with outside sources.
NOUN· All three were charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to commit forgery, and false accounting.· Fone is charged with three offences of theft involving a total of more than £40,000 and two offences of false accounting.· Mr Nadir faced trial in September on charges of theft and false accounting.· Mr Walker and former finance director Wilfred Aquilina were also charged with two counts of false accounting relating to the thefts.
· There were a lot of false accusations throughout the trial....· Witness Goosby had no reason to make false accusations, Avila said.· Prime is connected with the trial before Pilate and false accusation.· Supporters argue that the measure would provide care centers protection from false accusations.· He had hurt her enough with his false accusations.· His enemies had made false accusations against him and wanted to drag him through the mire.· I knew Hertz Lipmann would have willingly made a false accusation against anyone, if the Party required it of him.
· But the patient was okay, it was a false alarm, please thank them and send them on their way.· Several predictions have been issued, but all have been false alarms.· Thankfully this is a false alarm.· Businesses accounted for 469 of those false alarms, residences were blamed for 223 and 11 came from governmental locations.· There have been several false alarms in the tabloids, but at the end of 1986 reporters thought they had a scoop.· The top source of false alarms was Checkers Drive-In.· The number of hits and false alarms for individual films is given in Table 4.4.· The Tavares Fire Department also receives false alarms -- 211 last year.
· In human terms the reasoning which had been presented to him was filled with flaws and false assumptions.· This can be shown to be a false assumption, however.· It is the irreconcilable contradiction inevitable in humanism because of its false assumptions in constructing a world-view.· He should not put words in my mouth, however, or make false assumptions.· Because of these false assumptions, Labour's appeal is restricted.· But the false assumption is that everybody can be reclassified as a wealth creator.· You end up cutting the evidence to fit your theories, and making false assumptions.· They are built on axioms that may or may not be universally true, and can carry false assumptions with them.
· He feels much of the opposition is based on the false belief that the incinerator will also handle toxic waste.· A false belief may nevertheless be justified.· We can not argue straightforwardly that a false belief can not be justified.· Here is one of the standard procedures that is used to test whether a child has an adult-like appreciation of false belief.· An alarming picture encapsulated a false belief.· And they have led them under the false belief that a negotiated solution was seriously pursued.· So the merger boom went on for a while, still fuelled by this false belief.· Not all false beliefs are relevant in this sense.
· Many asked for more clearly presented and detailed information with less false claims.· This was long before Eastern Airlines fired him for moral turpitude and for making false claims about a medical background.· He had also threatened to make false claims of homosexual advances.· Insurance companies started hiring him to find stolen goods and investigate false claims.· Why does not the Prime Minister address those issues of life and death instead of parading false claims about his Government?· Editors also object to overblown or false claims.· Clients often make false claims of cold-calling; sometimes so they might avoid paying for the shares they bought.
· And it is unclear how certain individuals, namely Marxists, transcend false consciousness.· For Marx and Engels the working class had nothing to lose but their chains of false consciousness.· In short, their transgression was motivated by false consciousness.· For them, too, it is simply ideology and false consciousness.· In antiracist analyses the irrationality of popular or working-class racism is conceptualized primarily as a form of false consciousness.· Both the bourgeois ideology and the proletarian false consciousness are products of particular social relations present in capitalism.
· The global fund in all probability will prove to be another false dawn for the poor.· Tracers lit up the fog like a false dawn.· It was a false dawn, replaced soon after by a now starless night that was blacker than the previous hours.· The woman is much more emotionally exposed to the disappointments and false dawns.· That proved to be a false dawn, as Moravcik's replacement, McNamara, was the one who scored.· But we must beware of overconfidence - we have had false dawns before!
· Using briefing only may be a false economy.· It would be a false economy not to treat divers.· It is false economy not to get the right expert, even though getting the right expert may be more expensive.· From a point of view of commercial work, however, this is bad practice, and false economy.· Buying less than the best is a false economy.· Do not skimp on batteries, it is a false economy.· Diane Chalmers, senior home care manager, says councillors and staff recognised that removing the service would be a false economy.
· Everybody tried to take something - a scrap of clothing, a lock of hair, a false eyelash, a brooch.· Anti-fog goggles are recommended for embarrassing facial hair or false eyelashes.· The model came in with the cups of tea, still glowering darkly at Paula from beneath her fringe of false eyelashes.· Bleached hair, false eyelashes and fake nails are old-hat, according to the latest health and beauty survey.· Apply false eyelashes and really catch some one's eye!· Her hair, slightly shorter than his, earrings, make-up and false eyelashes are all perfectly in place.
· Spark has always had the facility to be silkily suave as she goes about examining our predilection for worshipping false gods.· But those of us who understand history must shudder at his adulation of the false gods of isolationism and protectionism.· Musicians, actors and celebrities all count as false gods. 13.· Massachusetts laws forbade people to induce others to follow false gods, and this they accused Quakers of doing.· Once you get too exclusive, too obsessed with a place, you are worshipping false gods.· The Old Testament records them running after false gods, the gods of the nations round about them, whenever opportunity offered.
· I hate unidentified corpses - can't help thinking of women and children, living and waiting in false hopes.· When you care about a dear departed show, a highly promoted new episode offers a kind of false hope.· No, that was a false hope.· Ecstasy to despair to false hope, et cetera.· But having given Labour false hopes, will the media now make sure that Labour suffers from false despair?· The family and others also cling to these times of false hope.· Now the couple had expected it was dead and we gave them false hope.· Investors are so willing to believe in recovery around the corner that they will clutch at false hopes almost indefinitely.
· Many people have been tricked by villains with false identity cards.· Under a false identity, he's living it up in Florence, dining out with the aristocracy.
· The call, the first by any network, created the false impression that Bush had won the general election.· But he knew that people thought otherwise, and that their false impression was his own fault.· Or was that a false impression, created by the odd circumstances of their unexpected arrival here?· It made him uneasy to think that a false impression was the basis for his hiring.· Taken at face value the words found sinister and can convey a false impression like some sort of second-rate horror movie.· Deceptive behaviors are those actions intended to create a false impression of reality.· By the way, I really must correct a false impression that I inadvertently gave just now.· It was one of the false impressions that collected around her.
· The rest included allegations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and loss of property.· Lombardy was stopped and arrested on suspicion of rape by force; rape with a foreign object and false imprisonment.· Was recently awarded £30,000 damages against Thames Valley Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.· If anyone prevents you from doing so, you can sue for false imprisonment.· But she was spared from that ordeal when Anthony Bourgois pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and carrying a knife.· The boy admitted false imprisonment and wounding.· An action of damages may be brought for false imprisonment. 3.· He denies false imprisonment, assault and blackmail.
· Such automated systems would also be potentially vulnerable to false information from people or agents hoping to capitalize on their correlated behaviour.· The panel also found that Gingrich gave it false information when questioned about the matter.· The charges including disseminating false information and withholding information.· Seven days later, Gingrich admitted violating House rules by, among other things, submitting false information to the ethics committee.· Consumers could be committing fraud if they provide false information on a credit application form.· But this, being a deliberative move to impart false information, would be a reversion to the linguistic.· Then, when the ethics committee investigated those projects, Gingrich gave the panel false information, the speaker acknowledged.
· This was in no way false modesty - he considered engineering one of the highest possible callings.· I say that with no false modesty.· Miranda, while not vain, did not suffer from false modesty.· It would be false modesty to fail to recognize that it is you that is selling...· There is no false modesty here, no subtle, indirect swaggering; the author's honesty rings true.· That was a fact she accepted without false modesty or pride.
· Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.· No regrets, no hesitation; there were no false moves left in me.· One false move in the conduct of the attack will spell certain doom for White.· Leicester are the sporting equivalent of those brave landmine engineers who operate in areas where one false move can destroy everything.· From that day there was no appeal from the consequences of even one false move.· A false move and the State would not hesitate to send him to the same grave as his father and grandfather.· Then it happened, that one false move that a batsman never wants to make.· He scarcely made a false move.
· At first, they may intend this as a joke, sometimes giving a false name.· Letters, travel documents, counterfeit signatures, a history of false names.· If you still have concerns about confidentiality, you can take the test using a false name - this is perfectly legal.· Win had also used a false name through the years, standard practice for officers engaged in covert work.· I gave him a false name.· With these he could begin to construct the illustrated history of his subject, starting with a false name.· She rang up to make an appointment with my receptionist, using a false name.· After the address book came the false names.
· He was provided with a false passport in the name of William Goode.· McMullen unlawfully entered the United States in 1978 on a false passport.· He was carrying a false passport when he arrived from London but was recognised during a routine check.
· Tears running down her face, she put the eggs back in their nest a false picture of natural felicity.· This is not an entirely false picture, but it is not the complete one.· The term ideology is often used to suggest a distortion, a false picture of reality.· The media are merely the messengers, sometimes further sensationalizing and then passing along the false picture that has been painted.· You could say that a variation in tyre performance will paint a false picture of a car's worth.· But to a large, and increasing, extent that is a false picture.· First-team manager David Hughes believes, however, that this barren 12-month spell creates a false picture.
· These subjects had comparatively low positive titres in 1978 and may have been false positives.· Thus for every 80 correctly predicted we will have 20 false negatives and 200 false positives.· By definition they are all high risk and there is thus no significance to the issue of false positives.· But Salsburg wondered how many of these might be false positives.
· This statement represents the old doctrine in regard to obtaining property by false pretences, to which I shall advert presently.· He argued that the old distinction between the offence of false pretences and larceny had been preserved.· I felt as if I was there under false pretences.· Old terminology such as larceny, larceny by a trick, false pretences and embezzlement were replaced by modern terms.· I got into your office under false pretences, but there was no other way.· He was only interested in himself and his business, and had married her under false pretences.· He brought me down here to work for him under false pretences.
· No fast talking, no false promises, and if combat ensues there's no quarter asked or given.· Should not the right hon. Gentleman now apologise for the false promises that he made in 1991?
· There were too many false prophets in the world already without relying on gold-fish.· A sign of a false prophet is a drawing away in independence from the main body of the church.
· Problems might arise when the false report is made via a telephone.· Publication of false reports of Parliamentary proceedings and premature disclosure of committee proceedings have both constituted contempt.
· She admitted four charges of making a false representation to obtain benefit and asked for 18 others to be taken into consideration.· Other allegations against the latter suggested a breach of a contractual duty of care, false representations and undue influence.
· But, encased in the false security of her new-found happiness, she had never guessed.· The false security offered by a gang?· He was not misled or lulled into a sense of false security or anything of that kind.
· An attempt to lull him into a false sense of security.· The entire procedure would give a false sense of security.· They preferred their little aerosols of teargas which gave them a false sense of security.· But some people think too much emphasis is being put on duration, lulling investors into a false sense of comfort.· Making a close relationship may lead to a false sense of self-sufficiency.· The identification of apparent patterning amongst types and sub-groups of ornamental metalwork can easily induce a false sense of satisfaction.· If Dunbar could be lulled first into a false sense of security, it might all go more satisfactorily.· The day went so well, in fact, that we were all completely lulled into a false sense of security.
· Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.· After numerous false starts, attendance figures hint that long-suffering soccer fans might finally have something to be excited about.· They were spreading rumours that Mac and I knew the starter and that I had got away with a false start.· After numerous false starts, we find our way to the National Forest boundary.· On the first false start, the tape caught round some horses' necks.· Narendra laughed and said that a few false starts were only to be expected.· There were several false starts and fresh choices, but by ni-Frith they had three scrapes of a sort.· So many false starts, blind alleys, postulates which decayed before the end of the argument.
· Inside was a spoof tax return with the usual warnings about false statements.· Punitive damages can be awarded when false statements are made maliciously.· Similarly subsequent facts will not make a false statement true.· The grand jury indicted Aronoff, R-Cincinnati, and Riffe, D-Wheelersburg, on two counts of filing a false statement.· This individual is not required to show how he or she was injured by the false statements.· A false statement is viewed as a lie regardless of the intent.
· And marriage, I should have thought, is a false step you must have been well warned against.· A false step, a forgotten detail.· Risking a false step in the bog, she sped over the path.· In a way each admired the other's skill at living, while enjoying the odd false step.· I knew that if I made the slightest false step he would leap at me.· One false step and we would be down there too.
· And she can't be the only young girl in the school with a full set of false teeth.· Should I have taken the false teeth?· He rummaged the bed - another fright, his life was full of them - for his false teeth.· The officer was city-bred and educated, so that the false teeth appeared to him in a different light.· This is rather a trivial example: if teeth were the only problem, senescence could be cured by false teeth.· His lips were intensely smiling and his false teeth shone.· Talk of false teeth in this setting?· And indeed his mouth was empty; evidently he had removed his false teeth.
· Three others alleged false trade descriptions.· Three others accused the firm of false trade descriptions.· In determining whether there is a false trade description the court looks at the situation as an ordinary purchaser would.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► under/on false pretences► make false representations
1untrue a statement, story etc that is false is completely untrue: - A false step, a forgotten detail.
- And marriage, I should have thought, is a false step you must have been well warned against.
- Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.
- Leicester are the sporting equivalent of those brave landmine engineers who operate in areas where one false move can destroy everything.
- No regrets, no hesitation; there were no false moves left in me.
- One false move in the conduct of the attack will spell certain doom for White.
- One false step and we would be down there too.
- Risking a false step in the bog, she sped over the path.
- An action of damages may be brought for false imprisonment. 3.
- But she was spared from that ordeal when Anthony Bourgois pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and carrying a knife.
- He denies false imprisonment, assault and blackmail.
- If anyone prevents you from doing so, you can sue for false imprisonment.
- Lombardy was stopped and arrested on suspicion of rape by force; rape with a foreign object and false imprisonment.
- The boy admitted false imprisonment and wounding.
- The rest included allegations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and loss of property.
- Was recently awarded £30,000 damages against Thames Valley Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.
- Buying less than the best is a false economy.
- Diane Chalmers, senior home care manager, says councillors and staff recognised that removing the service would be a false economy.
- Do not skimp on batteries, it is a false economy.
- From a point of view of commercial work, however, this is bad practice, and false economy.
- It is false economy not to get the right expert, even though getting the right expert may be more expensive.
- It would be a false economy not to treat divers.
- Using briefing only may be a false economy.
- He got a loan from the bank under false pretences.
- Immigration officers attempt to catch people entering the country under false pretenses.
- He brought me down here to work for him under false pretences.
- He was only interested in himself and his business, and had married her under false pretences.
- I felt as if I was there under false pretences.
- I got into your office under false pretences, but there was no other way.
- It was a false dawn, replaced soon after by a now starless night that was blacker than the previous hours.
- That proved to be a false dawn, as Moravcik's replacement, McNamara, was the one who scored.
- Tracers lit up the fog like a false dawn.
Please decide whether the following statements are true or false. false accusationsRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say not true rather than false, apart from in the fixed expression true or false: What he said was false. ➔ What he said was not true.2wrong based on incorrect information or ideas: I don’t want to give you any false hopes. The statement gives us a false impression that we understand something when we do not. false assumptions about people of other cultures a false sense of security (=a feeling of being safe when you are not really safe)► see thesaurus at wrong3not real a)not real, but intended to seem real and deceive people: The drugs were hidden in a suitcase with a false bottom. The man had given a false name and address. b)artificialfalse teeth/hair/eyelashes etc► see thesaurus at artificial4not sincere not sincere or honest, and pretending to have feelings that you do not really have: She’s so false. a false laugh ‘You played brilliantly.’ ‘Not really,’ Ian replied with false modesty.5false economy something that you think will save you money but which will really cost you more: It’s a false economy not to have travel insurance.6under false pretences if you get something under false pretences, you get it by deceiving people: He was accused of obtaining money under false pretences.7false move/step a small movement or action that will result in harm: One false move and you’re dead.8 false imprisonment/arrest the illegal act of putting someone in prison or arresting them for a crime they have not committedTHESAURUSfalse not real, but intended to seem real and deceive people: · He uses a false name.fake made to look or seem like something else, especially something worth a lot more money: · fake fur· a fake Rolex watch· fake designer goods· a fake $100 billforged a forged official document or bank note has been illegally made to look like a real one: · a forged passport· a forged £50 notecounterfeit /ˈkaʊntəfɪt $ -tər-/ counterfeit money or goods have been illegally made to look exactly like something else: · How do you detect counterfeit currency?· counterfeit drugsimitation made to look real – used especially about guns, bombs etc or about materials: · The two men used an imitation firearm to carry out the robbery.· imitation leather/silk/silverphoney/phony /ˈfəʊni $ ˈfoʊ-/ disapproving informal false – used when you think someone is deliberately trying to deceive people: · She put on a phoney New York accent.· The doctors were accused of supplying phoney medical certificates.· There’s something phoney about him.· phony advertisementsspurious /ˈspjʊəriəs $ ˈspjʊr-/ false and giving a wrong impression about someone or something: · spurious claims· That’s a spurious argument.· The company was trying to get some spurious respectability by using our name.