Words / C2

SPY-oorr-ee-uh-s/ˈspjʊəriəs/

Spurious means false even if it looks genuine — a claim, a correlation, a document. Use it instead of fake or false when the appearance of validity is the danger. In speech made-up or not genuine; spurious is for argument and scholarship.

Meaning

False, although it may look genuine.

Examples

• “The argument rested on spurious data.”
• “The chart invited a spurious sense of precision.”
• “They dismissed the letter as spurious.”

Good to know

Looks real, is not. Everyday: false / bogus.

Near in meaning

false

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