half-truth
Americannoun
plural
half-truths-
a statement that is only partly true, especially one intended to deceive, evade blame, or the like.
-
a statement that fails to divulge the whole truth.
noun
-
a partially true statement intended to mislead
Other Word Forms
- half-true adjective
Etymology
Origin of half-truth
First recorded in 1650–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Johnson’s mother, Melissa Johnson, on Wednesday said Davis “painted a negative half-truth about our son” when he described Johnson immediately after the shooting as someone with a “significant violent criminal history.”
From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2023
I think it’s worth exploring at what point a half-truth is more dangerous than a lie.”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2022
And it’s also considered a misrepresentation to state a half-truth, leaving out vital information needed to place a statement in context.
From Slate • Jul. 23, 2021
Not for him the mealy-mouthed half-truth, the small evasion.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2020
“I told her I needed to think about it on my own for a while,” Joaquin said instead, which he considered a half-truth and therefore not really a lie.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.