ˈfȯl(t)sˌhu̇d noun
Etymology: Middle English falshede, falshod, from fals false + -hede, -hod -hood — more at false
1.
a. : absence of truth or accuracy : falsity
the falsehood of this doctrine must be patent to any careful student
b. : an untrue assertion especially when intentional : lie
told two flat falsehoods about what had happened in secret session — Elmer Davis
c. : the practice of lying : mendacity
it is a trite … observation that courts are the seat of falsehood and dissimulation — Earl of Chesterfield
2. Scots law : the fraudulent imitation or suppression of truth by words, writing, or conduct to the damage of another