What is a word that means "something that seems true, but isn't?"

Question

I've been looking for a general word to define an idea that seems true, but simply isn't.

A simple example: "The Earth is flat." If all you know is the world outside your window, and you've never done any basic experiments, read books, or seen photos to the contrary, this seems like a reasonable explanation. But it doesn't take too much more examination to find out that it just isn't so.

The key point here is that it's something a reasonable person could reasonably believe.

The closest I've come to what I'm looking for is "verisimilitude." I looked at this answer, but it seems to me that words like "spurious" or "nonsense" seem to imply some ill-intent to deceive, which is not what I'm after. (Or maybe it's more a concept than a word, and that's ok too, if anyone has thoughts on that.)

I was about to compose an answer based on illusory, believing it to be the best fit to the question, but I cede to @Dave Kanter. — Anton, Mar 15 '21 at 16:25
Does this answer your question? What is another word for a false belief or opinion on something that people hold true and repeat because they have heard it repeated so many times? (misbelief, misconception, false impression, fallacy, false notion, old wives' tale, urban myth/legend ... delusion ...). — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 15 '21 at 16:35
Or this: What is a word to describe one's thoughts that sound logical and reasonable, but aren't? (specious; illusional) — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 15 '21 at 16:47
"Canard" seems to me to imply an intention to deceive. "Misconception" is a good one. — Raydot, Mar 15 '21 at 18:05
There are just-so stories, though they tend to be specifically about humans or animals, not about things in general. — Canadian Yankee, Mar 15 '21 at 19:55
@EdwinAshworth I thought about this for a while...why I think that page doesn't answer my question is because it applies to the belief. I'm trying to get to the thing that is believed. So according to an old wives' tale, for many centuries people believed the world was flat. What is word for the false belief (maybe that's the phrase!) itself? It only becomes a "misconception" when given a certain context. — Raydot, Mar 15 '21 at 21:28
But 'What is another word for a false belief?' is then the same question, a duplicate. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 16 '21 at 16:14
So @EdwinAshworth I'm not saying it isn't, but there are two reasons I hesitate. The first the "false belief" question is held true because people have heard it repeated so many times. The second is that you would have to know it was a misconception, for "misconception" to work -- but you don't which is what you believe what you do. But then...maybe such a context just doesn't exist. It's a truth until it's proved a falsehood. — Raydot, Mar 16 '21 at 19:12
You may just be heading for 'paradox' then: [Merriam-Webster] << paradox ... 2a: a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true >> [Collins] allows the 'is true' subsense: << paradox (1) a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that is or may be true: ...>>. Obviously, if T is true, T' is not true. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 16 '21 at 19:37
@EdwinAshworth can you spool one of these comments into an answer? I'm going with "misconception" although somehow I suspect that's still not quite it. — Raydot, Mar 17 '21 at 13:21
I almost never 'answer' when I've close-voted as what I consider to be a duplicate. I'd say that the 'flat-Earth theory' was very plausible until mechanics (including gravitation) and optical astronomy had developed, especially if one lived far from the sea. It seems fair to consider the 'spheroidal planet' notion a paradox at that time. — Edwin Ashworth, Mar 17 '21 at 14:32
@EdwinAshworth I can't delete the question. Mark it as a duplicate, maybe? — Raydot, Mar 17 '21 at 19:33
@jimm101 it is, because I do believe "specious" is the word I'm looking for! Thank you! Please submit as an answer and the points are yours! — Raydot, Apr 01 '21 at 21:38

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 15 '21 at 15:28

1

Seemingly works well for the given context.

appearing to be something, especially when this is not true:

He remains confident and seemingly untroubled by his recent problems.

[Cambridge]

You could this say: The earth is seemingly flat. (which it isn't in reality.)

answered Mar 15 '21 at 15:28

user405662

8,423

I like the idea of "seemingly true." That might be it... – Raydot Mar 15 '21 at 15:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 15 '21 at 22:23

0

I would use ostensibly.

OED : as appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so

answered Mar 15 '21 at 22:23

Wade B

218

But I suppose in my situation the real truth may not be known. – Raydot Mar 16 '21 at 19:07
In the context in which I ask the question, the real truth may not be known. Or is not known. – Raydot May 03 '21 at 15:05

What is a word that means "something that seems true, but isn't?"

2 Answers2