1
: a statement that is only partially true
2
: a statement that mingles truth and falsehood with deliberate intent to deceive

Examples of half-truth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Everybody is lying or telling half-truths the whole time in this show. Max Gao, Variety, 22 Feb. 2025 Related article Vance uses half-truths to lecture a European audience well aware of the threat of authoritarian rule During this short period of whiplash, by the worst battlefield estimates, up to 5,000 troops have been killed or injured on the frontlines in Ukraine. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half-truth was in 1628

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Half-truth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half-truth. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

half-truth

noun
-ˌtrüth
: a statement that is only partly true
especially : one that deliberately mixes truth and falsehood

More from Merriam-Webster on half-truth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!