Meaning

adjective not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

adjective arising from error

adjective erroneous and usually accidental

originFrom 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”). Reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-Norman and Old French fals, faus. Compare Scots fals, false, Saterland Frisian falsk, German falsch, Dutch vals, Swedish and Danish falsk; all from…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0