a false idea
the popular fallacy that scientists are illiterate
in logic, an argument failing to satisfy the conditions of valid inference
fallacious /fəʹlayshəs/ adj
fallaciously /fəʹlayshəsli/ adv
fallaciousness /fəʹlayshəsnis/ noun
[Latin fallacia, from fallac-, fallax deceitful, from fallere to deceive]