different between inanity vs falsehood

English

Etymology

From French inanité, from Latin inanitas

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?-n?n?-?t-?, IPA^(key): /??næn?ti/
• Hyphenation: i?nan?i?ty

Noun

inanity (countable and uncountable, plural inanities)

1. (uncountable) The property of being inane, of lacking material of interest or satisfaction, emptiness.
2. Something that is inane.

   Working in any bureaucracy means being bedeviled by inanities daily.

Translations

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