onwaar

Onwaar is a Dutch adjective meaning false or untrue. It is used to describe statements, claims, beliefs, or propositions that do not reflect reality or do not correspond to facts. The term is the negation of waar, which means true, and it forms the basis for related nouns such as onwaarheid (falsehood) and waarheid (truth). In modern Dutch, onwaar is most commonly used predicatively: Het verhaal is onwaar. It can also appear attributively in somewhat archaic or formal styles (een onwaar verhaal).

Etymologically, onwaar is formed with the negating prefix on- attached to waar. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages, notably Afrikaans, where onwaar also means false. In discourse, onwaar is a neutral-to-descriptive term; it is contrasted with accurate, correct, or true statements. It may be used in journalism, law, philosophy, and everyday speech to label untruths without asserting motive or intent beyond misalignment with facts. Related terms include onwaarheid (falsehood), waarheidsgetrouw (truthful), and onjuist (incorrect).