spurious
Say it: SPYOOR-ee-us /ˈspjʊriəs/ · adjective
What “spurious” means
False, even though it seems genuine.
More precisely: False or fake, though appearing genuine; based on faulty reasoning.
Example: “He blamed the delay on a spurious server outage that never actually happened.”
When to use it
For a claim, reason or piece of evidence that looks valid but is false, usually in critical or formal discussion.
Similar words
false, bogus, specious
Where it comes from
From Latin spurius, "illegitimate, false."
Quick check
A shop claims its ordinary tap water comes from a mountain spring, though it does not. The claim is…
unverified or spurious?
Show the answer
spurious
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