DictionaryAI

spurious

adjective
SaySPYOOR-ee-uhs/ˈspjʊ.ɹi.əs/UK/ˈspjʊə.ɹi.əs/

3 meanings of spurious

Practice

  1. 1
    falseadjective
    Not real or true, but false.

    He gave a spurious excuse for being late.

    The story about the haunted school turned out to be spurious.

    UsageOften spurious claims or a spurious excuse.

    Similarfalse, fake, bogus, counterfeit, forged

    Oppositegenuine, authentic, valid

    Note
  2. 2
    unwantedadjective
    Extra and unwanted, and not belonging where it is.

    The microphone picked up spurious noise from the street.

    Erase any spurious marks before you hand in the drawing.

    UsageOften spurious noise or spurious signals.

    Similarstray, extraneous, unwanted

    Note
  3. 3
    born outside marriageadjectivearchaic
    Born to parents who were not married to each other.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From a Late Latin word meaning "illegitimate".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact