Today, we still use spurious to mean "illegitimate," but the more common meaning is "false" (a sense introduced to spurious in Late Latin). Originally our "false" sense emphasized improper origin, and it …

SPURIOUS definition: not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. See examples of spurious used in a sentence.

True, real, false, and unreal (Definition of spurious from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

He was arrested in 1979 on spurious corruption charges. Quite a lot of allegations of misjustice are spurious.

Define spurious. spurious synonyms, spurious pronunciation, spurious translation, English dictionary definition of spurious. adj. 1. Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine: …

Dec 14, 2025 · spurious (comparative more spurious, superlative most spurious) False, not authentic, not genuine. quotations

Definition of spurious adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Something false or inauthentic is spurious. Don't trust spurious ideas and stories. Spurious statements often are lies, just as a spurious coin is a counterfeit coin — a fake.

spurious, adj. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

SPURIOUS meaning: 1 : not genuine, sincere, or authentic; 2 : based on false ideas or bad reasoning