Etymology

alternative fact

Today it means: Something presented as a fact for reasons of political expediency; a fiction, a falsehood, a lie. Full definition →

First used since the late 2010s
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The story

This term gained prominence after it was used by Kellyanne Conway in January 2017 and widely repeated in the US media.

First known use, by meaning

  • since the late 2010s Something presented as a fact for reasons of political expediency; a fiction, a falsehood, a lie.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.