Dictionary

spurious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈspjɔː-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈspjʊə.ɹi.əs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈspjɔɹ-/ (US)
• [ˈspjʉːɾe.əs] (Scotland)
• /ˈspjɵː.ɹɪjəs/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈspjʉɾe.əs/ (Scotland)
• /ˈspjoː-/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈspjʊɹ.i.əs/ (US)
• /ˈspʊɹ-/ (US)
• /ˈspjɝ-/ (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin spurius (“illegitimate, bastardly”), possibly related to sperno or from Etruscan.

Meanings

1. False, not authentic, not genuine.
   • [Ilhan] Omar was left twisting in the wind earlier this year after facing spurious charges of antisemitism, a display of Democratic cowardice co-signed by Chelsea Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and most every other Democrat with a congressional leadership position. 2019 July 19, Noah Kulwin, “Democrats Fail the Left, Once Again”, in Jewish Currents, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2023:
   • His argument was spurious and had no validity.
   • We witness that there is a relationship between government, media and industry that is evident even at this most spurious and superficial level. These three institutions support one another. We know that however cool a media outlet may purport to be, their primary loyalty is to their corporate backers. We know also that you cannot criticise the corporate backers openly without censorship and subsequent manipulation of this information. 2013 September 13, Russell Brand, “Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems'”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Jul 2023:
2. Extraneous, stray; not relevant or wanted.
   • I tried to concentrate on the matter in hand, but spurious thoughts kept intruding.
   • Spurious emissions from the wireless mast were causing nearby electrical equipment to go haywire.
3. (archaic) Bastardly, illegitimate.
   • […] who alſo in her prime of love, Spouſal embraces, vitiated with Gold, Though offer’d only, by the ſent conceiv’d Her ſpurious firſt-born; Treaſon againſt me? 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 29, lines 389-392:

Forms

Antonyms

genuine (antonym(s) of “false”) · representative (antonym(s) of “false”)

Deriveds

spurious diphthong · spurious infection · nonspurious · unspurious · spuriousness · spuriosity · spurion · spuriously · spurious language

Relateds

specious

Synonyms

fake (false) · false (false) · counterfeit (false) · bogus (false)

Translations (83)

no falsk (false) · et võlts (false) · mi teka (false) · el νόθος (illegitimate) · pt espúrio (illegitimate) · fi epäaito (false) · nl onwettelijk (illegitimate) · el κίβδηλος (false) · de ungewollt (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · es espurio (false) · is óskilgetinn (illegitimate) · ko 거짓의 (false) · af vals (false) · fr faux (false) · no uekte (false) · gd mealltach (false) · grc νόθος (illegitimate) · is falskur (false) · pl fałszywy (false) · is óekta (false) · pl nieautentyczny (false) · fi väärennetty (false) · id palsu (false) · ja 疑似の (false) · mi meho (false) · de gefälscht (false) · ru подде́льный (false) · sv oäkta (false) · mi (hori)hori (false) · bg незаконнороден (illegitimate) · pt espúrio (false) · pl nieprawny (illegitimate) · id tiruan (false) · de unehelich (illegitimate) · sv falsk (false) · ca bastard (illegitimate) · mi parau (false) · da falsk (false) · cmn 偽造的 /伪造的 (false) · sv oäkta (illegitimate) · ko 속임수의 (false) · bg фалши́в (false) · mi rūkahu (false) · grc νόθος (false) · de falsch (false) · ko 위조된 (false) · la reprobus (false) · nl vals (false) · is fals- (false) · pl podrobiony (false) · ja にせ物の (false) · es espurio (illegitimate) · ca espuri (illegitimate) · pl nierelewantny (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · ru фальши́вый (false) · da usand (false) · de nicht erwünscht (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · ru незаконноро́жденный (illegitimate) · fi väärä (false) · hu kósza (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · pl nieślubny (illegitimate) · da uægte (false) · el πλαστός (false) · grc πλαστός (false) · fr trompeur (false) · sv förfalskad (false) · cmn 虛假的 /虚假的 (false) · pl nieprawdziwy (false) · is falsaður (false) · ca fals (false) · de herumirrend (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · ru ло́жный (false) · hu hamis (false) · mi tipatipa (false) · hi मिथ्या (false) · de unecht (false) · ca espuri (false) · pl nieistotny (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted) · gd meallta (false) · is tál- (false) · fa مجعول (false) · ru внебра́чный (illegitimate) · de beiläufig (extraneous; stray; not relevant or wanted)