Fausses

Fausses is the feminine plural form of the French adjective faux, meaning false, counterfeit, or deceitful. It agrees with feminine plural nouns (for masculine forms see faux; feminine singular fausse; feminine plural fausses). The term is widely used in contexts ranging from everyday speech to academic writing to indicate that something is not genuine or deliberately misleading.

Etymology and usage

Fausses derives from Latin falsus through Old French and entered modern French with the sense of being untrue or forged. It is commonly paired with nouns referring to information, objects, or claims to signal unreliability or illegitimacy. In many phrases, the nuance ranges from misleading to explicitly counterfeit.

Common phrases and examples

- fausses informations (fake news or misinformation)

- fausses accusations (unfounded accusations)

- fausses promesses (empty or broken promises)

- fausses monnaies (counterfeit money)

- fausses identités (fake identities)

- fausses pistes (false leads)

These expressions illustrate how fausses functions as a standard descriptor for deception or inauthenticity.

Contrast with related forms

The masculine plural is faux (e.g., faux documents), the feminine singular is fausse (e.g., fausse monnaie), while fausses is specifically feminine plural. The term fausse monnaie, for example, is a fixed collocation for counterfeit money, whereas faux documents refers to counterfeit documents with masculine nouns.

Notes for learners

When using fausses, ensure agreement with the noun’s gender and number. It conveys a strong sense of inauthenticity and is common in journalism, law, and everyday discourse.