False information that is deliberately spread to mislead or deceive people, often by governments or organizations.
Prefix 'dis-' (opposite) + 'information.' The modern term gained prominence during the Cold War when journalists and scholars began studying deliberate propaganda campaigns and false narratives spread by state actors.
Disinformation is different from 'misinformation'—disinformation is a lie told on purpose to trick you, while misinformation is just false information someone believed was true, which is why telling the difference matters so much.
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