Meanings
nounhalf-truth (countable and uncountable, plural half-truths)
plural half-truths · alternative half truth
- countableuncountableA deceptive statement, especially one that is only partly true, is incomplete, misrepresents reality by telling part of the truth, or alters the time sequence of truths.
The Minister no doubt would claim that the public has already expressed its opinion by deserting the trains. As we have said before, this is scarcely a half-truth. By and large, where there has been a decline the public has deserted the out-dated trains; [...].
1962 August, “Let's have plain speaking”, in Modern Railways, page 74
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Englishhalf-
- Proto-Indo-European*drewH-
- Proto-Germanic*triwwiz
- Proto-Germanic*triwwiþō
- Old Englishtrēowþ
- Middle Englishtrouthe
- Englishtruth
- Englishhalf-truth
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 一半真話 /一半真话, 半句真話 /半句真话
- 一半真話 /一半真话 (yībàn zhēnhuà)A deceptive statement
- 半句真話 /半句真话 (bànjù zhēnhuà)A deceptive statement
Czech polopravda
- polopravdaA deceptive statement
Dutch halve waarheid
- halve waarheidA deceptive statement
Esperanto duonveraĵo
- duonveraĵoA deceptive statement
Finnish puolitotuus
- puolitotuusA deceptive statement
French demi-vérité, semi-vérité
- demi-véritéA deceptive statement
- semi-véritéA deceptive statement
German Halbwahrheit
- HalbwahrheitA deceptive statement
Polish półprawda
- półprawdaA deceptive statement
Portuguese meia-verdade
- meia-verdadeA deceptive statement
Russian полупра́вда
- полупра́вда (poluprávda)A deceptive statement
Spanish verdad a medias
- verdad a mediasA deceptive statement
Swedish halvsanning
- halvsanningA deceptive statement
Thai ความจริงครึ่งเดียว
- ความจริงครึ่งเดียวA deceptive statement
Cite this entry
APA
half-truth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half-truth
MLA
“half-truth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half-truth. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “half-truth,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/half-truth.
Source: half-truth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.