untrue

Something untrue does not match the facts. It is often used for statements, claims, stories, or beliefs that turn out to be wrong. If someone says you did something and it did not happen, you can say the claim is untrue. The word does not always suggest a deliberate lie; sometimes a person believes something, but it later turns out to be untrue. A forecast that promised sunshine may prove untrue when a storm rolls in. In tone, it often sounds a little more formal and gentle than simply saying "false."

The word "untrue" describes something that does not match reality or the facts. It can refer to a statement, belief, rumor, excuse, or report that turns out to be wrong. Sometimes the speaker knows it is wrong and says it anyway; other times, they believe it and later discover that it is untrue. Compared with "false," the word "untrue" can sound a little softer or more personal, especially when people are talking about claims, accusations, and stories.

You might say a rumor is untrue, meaning it is not based on facts and should not be believed. A politician might call an accusation untrue to reject it in public. A witness statement may seem believable at first and then prove untrue when new evidence appears. In everyday English, this is the main use of the word: something has been said, believed, or reported, but it is not actually so.

There is also a less common use connected with loyalty. If a person is untrue to a partner, a friend, or a promise, they are not faithful or do not stay loyal. That meaning appears more in literary or formal writing than in everyday conversation. Even so, the central idea stays the same: there is a break between what should be trusted and what is really true.