In a treacherous or faithless manner: play a person false. [Middle English fals, from Old English, counterfeit, and from Old French, false, both from Latin falsus, from past participle of fallere, to deceive.] Understand the comprehensive meaning of false. This glossary entry covers its definition, historical etymology, diverse real-world examples, and common idioms, offering a complete academic overview. FALSE definition: not true or correct; erroneous. See examples of false used in a sentence. FALSE meaning: 1. not real, but made to look or seem real: 2. not true, but made to seem true in order to deceive…. Learn more. If something is false, it is incorrect, untrue, or mistaken. It was quite clear the President was being given false information by those around him. You do not know whether what you're told is true or false. His sister said he had deliberately given the hospital a false name and address. From Middle English false, fals, from Old English fals (“false; counterfeit; fraudulent; wrong; mistaken”), from Latin falsus (“counterfeit, false; falsehood”), perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). The meaning of FALSE is not genuine. How to use false in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of False.