In a way that is not true, dishonest, or deceptive; claiming something that isn't real or accurate.
From the adjective 'false' (from Latin 'falsus,' past participle of 'fallere' meaning 'to deceive') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly.' The word has meant 'not true' since Old English times.
The Latin root 'fallere' (to deceive) appears in surprising places—'fallacy,' 'fallible,' 'infallible,' and even 'fall' itself may be connected. This root captures something essential about human nature: our tendency to stumble into deception.
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