Also 5–7 falsifie, 6 falcefy, falsefye, -ifye. [ad. Fr. falsifier, ad. late L. falsificāre, f. L. falsific-us making false, f. falsus FALSE: see -FY.]
1. trans. To make false or incorrect. a. To alter fraudulently; to introduce false matter into or give an incorrect version of (a document, etc.).
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), IV. viii. 188. Also yf it be to falsefye the letters of the pope in theym puttynge or takynge out one letter, one poynt, or one mynyme, or so vse suche letters malycyously is excomunycate of the sentence papall.
1527. R. Thorne, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 256. Those they haue falsefied of late purposely.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxiii. 204. They did not therefore falsifie the Scriptures, though the copies of the Books of the New Testament, were in the hands only of the Ecclesiasticks; because if they had an intention so to do, they would surely have made them more favourable to their power over Chritiann Princes, & Civil Soveraignty, than they are.
1741. trans. D’Argens’ Chinese Lett., v. 28. Funeral Orations had contributed very much to falsify History.
1831. Brewster, Newton (1855), II. xx. 237. He therefore falsified the document by the substitution of a paragraph, in which he abjures hurrying on the work in his absence.
a. 1832. Mackintosh, Rise & Fall Struensee, Wks. 1846, II. 396. Accused … of having falsified the public accounts.
b. To give a false account of; to misrepresent.
1630. Prynne, Anti-Armin., 118. Which falsifies the eternal truth.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., ii. § 97 (1642), 152. Æmylius Probus mistook, or falsifies Thucydides.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 252, 19 Dec., ¶ 1. Good-breeding has made the Tongue falsify the Heart, and act a part of continual restraint, while nature has preserved the eyes to herself, that she may not be disguised or misrepresented.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Napoleon, Wks. (Bohn), I. 379. He sat, in his premature old age, in his lonely island, coldly falsifying facts, and dates, and characters, and giving to history a theatrical éclat.
absol. 1779. Johnson, 10 Oct., in Boswell. Lord Bathurst did not intentionally falsify.
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 510. Not that Johnson designedly falsified.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., I. 217. I falsified and fabricated.
† c. To assert falsely. Obs.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], trans. Hist. Ivstine, 24 b. How they might take away his life, either by treason to be falsified against him, or by any other extraordinare plot, to bring him to his end.
† d. To adulterate. Also of disease: To corrupt, vitiate. Obs.
1563. Act 5 Eliz., c. 11 § 1. Divers … Persons … diminish, impair and falsify the Monies and Coins current within this Realm.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Letters of Mounsieur de Balzac, 385. Truely, it is a shame there are Lawes against those who counterfeit Coines and falsifie Merchandizes; yet that such are freely permitted who corrupt Phiosophy and Eloquence.
1656. Ben Israel, Vindiciæ Judæorum, in Phenix (1708), II. 421. Verdigrease … all falsify’d with earth.
1658. A. Fox, trans. Wurtz’ Surg., III. vi. 233. By diseases the joint water or radical humor is falsified, when other humors are mingled with it, and are driven forth at the wound.
e. To make (a balance or standard) untrue.
1611. Bible, Amos viii. 5. Saying, When will the newe Moone be gone, that we may sell corne? and the Sabbath, that wee may set forth wheat, making the Ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
a. 1848. R. W. Hamilton, Rew. & Punishm., viii. (1853), 404. If there be men who have ‘crept in unawares among us,’—false to the vows of ordination,—glozing and undermining the awful retribution which shall fall upon the impenitent, the unbelieving, the disobedient—cheapening to themselves worldly favor and applause—we are not compelled to falsify our standards, or to dishonor our ancestors.
f. To alter or pervert from correct rule.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. (Arb.), 94. There can not be … a fowler fault, then to falsifie his accent to serue his cadence.
1841. Disraeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 475. He [Spenser] falsified accentuation, to adapt it to his metre.
g. To make unsound.
1868. M. Pattison, Academ. Org., 6. The intervention of the Legislature in 1854 was made by it, and submitted to by us, in an unhappy spirit, which, in a great degree, falsified the relation between the parties.
¶ h. Used by Dryden in avowed imitation of It. falsare: (see quot.).
1697. Dryden, Virg. Æneid, IX. 1093.
| His crest is rash’d away; his ample shield | |
| Is falsify’d, and round with jav’lins fiil’d. |
† 2. a. To produce a counterfeit of; to counterfeit. b. To get up in imitation of something else. Obs.
a. 1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 613. After that crystall was once found out, they deuised to sophisticat and falsifie other gems therewith.
1699. M. Lister, Journ. Paris, 124. We saw the Steel Dyes of the Paduan Brothers, by which they stampt and falsified the best ancient Medals so well, that they are not to be distinguisht but by putting them into those Molds.
b. 1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xxv. (Arb.), 310. The Lapidarie [counterfeits] pearles and pretious stones by glasse and other substances falsified, and sophisticate by arte.
3. To declare or prove to be false.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. x. 50. To falsifie this present xiije conclusioun.
1570–6. Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent (1826), 221. He shall have cause neither to falsifie the one opinion lightly, nor to faith the other unadvisedly.
1805. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 42. Yet he trusts that some, as well as himself, are yet among the living; and he is positively certain that no man can falsify any material fact here stated.
1849. Stovel, Canne’s Necess., Introd., 9. Relinquishing all claim to respect by falsifying their own affirmations.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., i. (1877), 23. The rights of conscience belong so much to the morality of society now, that they must falsify any moral creed opposed to them.
b. esp. in Law (see quots.). To falsify a doom (Sc.): = to false a doom; see FALSE v. 5.
1574. trans. Littleton’s Tenures, 33 a. It shall not lye in the mouthe of the tenaunte to falsifye or defete the recoverie which was againste his Lord.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 104 b. To falsifie in legall understanding is to prove false, that is, to avoid or … to defeat.
1642. trans. Perkins’ Prof. Bk., v. § 382. 165. His wife shall falsifie this recovery in a writ of dower, &c.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 945. The sentence was conclusive evidence to falsify the warranty.
1854. J. W. Smith, A Manual of Equity Jurisprudence, 210. To give liberty to surcharge and falsify the account.
c. To fail in fulfilling, or prevent the fulfilment of (a prediction, expectation, etc.).
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. ii. 235. By so much shall I falsifie mens hopes.
a. 1719. Addison, The Evidences of the Christian Religion, viii. (1730), 66. Jews and Pagans united all their endeavours under Julian the apostate, to baffle and falsify the prediction.
1851. W. Collins, Rambles beyond Railw., vii. (1852), 124. The prognostications of our Cornish friends were pleasantly falsified.
1884. L’pool Daily Post, 10 July, 5. To consider … whether we are contented to falsify his high regard for us.
† 4. intr. To make a false representation or statement; to deal in falsehoods. Obs.
1629. trans. Herodian (1635), 112. Iulian was contemned by the Souldiery, for falsifying with them.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. ii. 6. His wisdome will hardly permit him to falsifie with the Almighty.
1702. The English Theophrastus, 338. The Practice of Falsifying with Men, will lead us on insensibly to a Double-dealing with God Himself.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), III. xxxiii. 197. Would you either falsify or prevaricate?
1777. Sheridan, Sch. Scand., II. ii. To propagate a malicious truth wantonly is more despicable than to falsify from revenge.
† 5. trans. To prove false to, fail to keep; to break, violate (one’s faith, word, etc.). Obs.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 585/1. I shall … finde Tindal himself so good a felow, as to falcefy his own wordes here & beare a poore man company.
1590. Greene, Never too Late (1600), 111. An Æneas that falsified his faith to Dido.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., V. Wks. (1851), 204. Falsifying that Oath, by night with all the Horse they had … stole to Exeter.
† 6. intr. To prove faint; to fail, give way. Obs.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 27 Aug. My heart beginning to falsify in this business.
† 7. Fencing. To feign (a blow); to make (a blow) under cover of a feint. Also absol. Obs.
1595. Saviolo, Practice, Rapier & Dagger, i. If you perceiue … that he go about to falsifie vpon you … put your selfe in your ward.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, VI. xlii. 102.
| This blow he proueth, that defence he trieth, | |
| He trauerseth, retireth, preaseth nie, | |
| Now strikes he out, and now he falsifieth, | |
| This blowe he wardeth, that he lets slip bie. |
1611. Beaum. & Fl., King & No King, I. i. Tigranes falsified a blow at your Leg, which you … avoided.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, II. x. 94. One of them making offer at his necke with a Halbert, and falsifying his blowe, hit him vnder the short ribbe.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 219.
| And as th’are wont to falsify a Blow, | |
| Use nothing else to pass upon the Foe. |
Hence Falsified ppl. a., Falsifying vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 978/2. They do defile and blemish the wordes of God which deck them with strange and falsified titles.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 292. Your falsified faith.
1648. Milton, Tenure Kings (1650), 2. Neither doe bad men hate Tyrants, but have been alwayes readiest with the falsifi’d names of Loyalty, and Obedience, to colour over base compliances.
1886. Pall Mall G., 1 July, 6/1. The falsified prediction is a good omen.
1565. Jewel, Def. Apol., II. 178. Lies, Corruptions, and Falsifieinges.
1601. R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc. (1603), 78. Cloth, which by reason of exceeding falsifying and deernesse of ours, groweth every day into more and more request.
1652. Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 222. He shewed such excellent dexterity in warding the other’s blows, slighting his falsifyings.
1680. Boyle, Produc. Chem. Princ., Pref., 14. Purifying it … from the falsifying alloy.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. Feinting or Falsifying.
