truthiness
Intuition masquerading as fact
Truthiness is the quality of something feeling true, even if it has no basis in fact.
The word first appeared in the 19th century but was little used until 2005, when U.S. satirist Stephen Colbert brought it to life again.
Colbert defined it as “the truth we want to exist.” Today, it carries a negative connotation, to label a widespread false belief put forward as a convenient truth.
Sensed inner state
- convictionFirmly held belief
- beliefTrust held as true
- sentimentFelt attitude or view
- passionIntense emotional drive
fervor · bias · prejudice · partiality · faith · zeal · ideology · dogma
False data spread unintentionally
- disinformationIntentional deceptive falsehoods
- fake newsIntentionally deceptive media content
- alternative factsLies presented as truth
- spinRapid rotation around axis
propaganda · manipulation · echo chamber · confirmation bias · cherry-picking · distortion · fabrication · clickbait
Digestive tract, or instinct
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
premonition · inkling · suspicion · impression · feeling · sense · intimation · presentiment
- satiricalMocking through exaggeration
- punditProfessional opinion-giver
- parodySatirical imitation
- mockeryScornful ridicule or travesty
The Colbert Report · commentary · skewer · lampoon · neologism · buzzword · coinage · pop culture
Appearing to be
- plausibilitySeeming likely true
- verisimilitudeAppearance of being factual
- semblanceOutward but misleading appearance
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
veneer · gloss · surface · superficial · specious · pseudo · quasi · ersatz
feeling
Sensed inner state
- convictionFirmly held belief
- beliefTrust held as true
- sentimentFelt attitude or view
passion · fervor · bias · prejudice · partiality · faith · zeal · ideology · dogma · opinion
misinformation
False data spread unintentionally
- disinformationIntentional deceptive falsehoods
- fake newsIntentionally deceptive media content
- alternative factsLies presented as truth
spin · propaganda · manipulation · echo chamber · confirmation bias · cherry-picking · distortion · fabrication · clickbait · viral
gut
Digestive tract, or instinct
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
sixth sense · premonition · inkling · suspicion · impression · feeling · sense · intimation · presentiment · foreboding
Stephen Colbert
The Colbert Report · mockery · commentary · skewer · lampoon · neologism · buzzword · coinage · pop culture · media criticism
seeming
Appearing to be
- plausibilitySeeming likely true
- verisimilitudeAppearance of being factual
- semblanceOutward but misleading appearance
facade · veneer · gloss · surface · superficial · specious · pseudo · quasi · ersatz · faux
- Neologismsselfie, blog, vlog, podcast, hashtag
- political buzzwordswoke, wokeness, virtue signaling, virtue signal, dog whistle
- unreasonirrationalism, irrationality, unreason, illogic, anti-rationalism
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- manipulation tacticsgaslighting, guilt trip, guilt-tripping, guilt tripping, emotional blackmail
- misinformationmisinformation, disinformation, fake news, falsehoods, hoaxes
truthinessevidence
Facts supporting truth
proof · data · documentation · empiricism · logical reasoning
truthinessintellectual rigor
Disciplined, exacting thought standards
critical thinking · intellectual humility · journalistic integrity · academic integrity · truth-seeking
truth, truly, truthful, truths, untruth, truthfulness, truism, untruthful, untruths