Spurious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈspyu̇r-ē-əs/ spu·ri·ous

Meaning & Definition of Spurious

Spurious (adjective)

  1. outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities, false
  2. of falsified or erroneously attributed origin, forged
  3. of a deceitful nature or quality

Spurious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being such in appearance only and made or manufactured with the intention of committing fraud

    "a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second"

    similar: bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony, sham, snide, unauthentic
    related: artificial, factitious, imitation, man-made, mimic, mock, simulated, substitute, synthetic, dummy, nonfunctioning, ornamental, cultured, fabricated, manufactured, deceptive, delusive, misleading
    opposite: authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked
    near: natural, actual, true, valid

  2. lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

    "claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks"

    similar: affected, artificial, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, strained, unnatural
    related: automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden, artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied
    opposite: artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced
    near: authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true, honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied

  3. born to a father and mother who are not married

    "the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne"

    similar: baseborn, illegitimate, misbegotten, natural, supposititious, unfathered
    related: fatherless, motherless, nameless, adopted, orphaned
    opposite: legitimate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spurious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spurious:

bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony, sham, snide, unauthentic, affected, artificial, assumed, contrived, factitious, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, baseborn, illegitimate, misbegotten, natural, supposititious, unfathered

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spurious

Words with the opposite meaning of Spurious:

authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked, artless, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced, legitimate

Related Words for Spurious

imitation, man-made, mimic, substitute, synthetic, dummy, nonfunctioning, ornamental, cultured, fabricated, manufactured, deceptive, delusive, misleading, automatic, canned, concocted, hokey, labored, pat, unreal, unrealistic, double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy

Near Antonyms of Spurious

actual, true, valid, realistic, right, honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied

Word Forms of Spurious

Derived words: spuriously (adverb), spuriousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Spurious

Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin spurius false, from Latin, of illegitimate birth, from spurius, noun, bastard

First known use: circa 1567

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Spurious

  • Topics: Deception & Truth

Frequently Asked Questions about Spurious

What does "Spurious" mean?

"Spurious" means outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities, false. As an adjective, it is defined as: outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities, false. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spurious"?

Other words for "Spurious" include bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony and sham. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spurious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spurious"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spurious". Common alternatives include bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony, sham, snide and unauthentic.

What is the opposite of "Spurious"?

Antonyms of "Spurious" include authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, unfaked, artless, natural and spontaneous. Near antonyms include actual, true, valid and realistic.

How do you use "Spurious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spurious" in a sentence: "a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second"; "claimed that the governor's election-year enthusiasm for conservation was spurious, since he had cut funding for state parks"; "the spurious son of Charles II, the Duke of Monmouth would later mount a rebellion in a disastrous attempt to claim the throne".

Is "Spurious" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spurious" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Spurious"?

"Spurious" is pronounced /ˈspyu̇r-ē-əs/ and divided into syllables as spu·ri·ous.

What is the origin of the word "Spurious"?

"Spurious" comes from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin spurius false, from Latin, of illegitimate birth, from spurius, noun, bastard. First known use: circa 1567.