spurious

Adjective

1. ostensibly valid, but not actually valid; “a spurious argument”
   • Similar to
     • invalid
2. plausible but false; “a specious claim”; “spurious inferences”
   • Synonyms
     • specious
   • Similar to
     • false
   • Related
     • spuriousness
     • speciousness
     • meretriciousness
3. born out of wedlock; “the dominions of both rulers passed away to their spurious or doubtful offspring”- E.A.Freeman
   • Synonyms
     • bastardly
     • misbegot
     • misbegotten
   • Similar to
     • illegitimate
   • Related
     • bastard
     • by-blow
     • love child
     • illegitimate child
     • illegitimate
     • whoreson
4. false or fake; not what it appears to be; “a spurious work of art”
   • Synonyms
     • inauthentic
     • unauthentic
   • Similar to
     • counterfeit
     • imitative
   • Related
     • spuriousness

spurious - LookUp

adjective

1. not being what it purports to be; false or fake separating authentic and spurious claims

(of a line of reasoning) apparently but not actually valid this spurious reasoning results in nonsense

Origin

late 16th century (in the sense born out of wedlock ): from Latin spurius false + -ous

Thesaurus

Adjective

1. it was possible to arrange retirements on spurious medical grounds

Similar Words: bogus fake not genuine specious false factitious counterfeit fraudulent trumped-up sham mock feigned pretended contrived fabricated manufactured fictitious make-believe invalid fallacious meretricious artificial imitation simulated ersatz phoney pseudo pretend cod adulterine

Opposites: authentic genuine real