Dictionary

half-truth en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English half- Proto-Indo-European *drewH-der. Proto-Germanic *triwwiz Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂der. Proto-Germanic *-iþō Proto-Germanic *triwwiþō Old English trēowþ Middle English trouthe English truth English half-truth From half- + truth.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A deceptive statement, especially one that is only partly true, is incomplete, misrepresents reality by telling part of the truth, or alters the time sequence of truths.
   • The Minister no doubt would claim that the public has already expressed its opinion by deserting the trains. As we have said before, this is scarcely a half-truth. By and large, where there has been a decline the public has deserted the out-dated trains; [...]. 1962 August, “Let's have plain speaking”, in Modern Railways, page 74:

Forms

Relateds

white lie · truth · lie · contextomy · true · anti-truth

Translations (17)

sv halvsanning (A deceptive statement) · nl halve waarheid (A deceptive statement) · de Halbwahrheit (A deceptive statement) · mk полувистина (A deceptive statement) · cmn 一半真話 /一半真话 (A deceptive statement) · th ความจริงครึ่งเดียว (A deceptive statement) · fi puolitotuus (A deceptive statement) · es verdad a medias (A deceptive statement) · cmn 半句真話 /半句真话 (A deceptive statement) · fr semi-vérité (A deceptive statement) · cs polopravda (A deceptive statement) · sh poluistina (A deceptive statement) · fr demi-vérité (A deceptive statement) · pl półprawda (A deceptive statement) · ru полупра́вда (A deceptive statement) · pt meia-verdade (A deceptive statement) · eo duonveraĵo (A deceptive statement)