different between dissimulation vs falsehood

English

Etymology

From Old French dissimulation, from Latin dissimul?ti?.

Noun

dissimulation (countable and uncountable, plural dissimulations)

1. The act of concealing the truth; hypocrisy or deception.
2. Hiding one's feelings or intentions.

Related terms

Translations

French

Etymology

From Latin dissimul?ti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.si.my.la.sj??/

Noun

dissimulation f (plural dissimulations)

1. dissimulation

Related terms

• dissimuler

Further reading

• “dissimulation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English falshede, from false + -hede.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f?ls?h?d/

Noun

falsehood (countable and uncountable, plural falsehoods)

1. (uncountable) The property of being false.
2. (countable) A false statement, especially an intentional one; a lie.

   Don't tell falsehoods.

3. (archaic, rare) Mendacity, deceitfulness; the trait of a person who is mendacious and deceitful.
   • 1984, Witness Lee, Life-Study: Revelation: Volume Three: Messages 34-50, Living Stream Ministry (1999), ?ISBN, page 511:

     The false prophet looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. This indicates his falsehood. […] He will pretend to be the same as Christ.

Usage notes

• Falsehood, Falseness, Falsity; untruth, fabrication, fiction. Instances may be quoted in abundance from old authors to show that the first three words are often strictly synonymous; but the modern tendency has been decidedly in favor of separating them, falsehood standing for the concrete thing, an intentional lie; falseness, for the quality of being guiltily false or treacherous: as, he is justly despised for his falseness to his oath; and falsity, for the quality of being false without blame: as, the falsity of reasoning. — The Century Dictionary, 1911.

Quotations

• Syn. Falsehood, Falseness, Falsity; untruth, fabrication, fiction. Instances may be quoted in abundance from old authors to show that the first three words are often strictly synonymous; but the modern tendency has been decidedly in favor of separating them, falsehood standing for the concrete thing, an intentional lie; falseness, for the quality of being guiltily false or treacherous: as, he is justly despised for his falseness to his oath; and falsity, for the quality of being false without blame: as, the falsity of reasoning. — the Century Dictionary, 1911.
• Micah 2:11 (KJV):

  If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

• 1909, John Potts, Secret Lodge System:

  The lodge upheld, sustained and honored this man in his double life, his deceit, his falsehood, his hypocrisy.

Synonyms

• (property of being false): falsity
• (intentionally false statement): lie
• (deceitfulness): falseness, mendacity
• See also Thesaurus:falsehood

Antonyms

• (false statement): truth, verity

Translations