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Webster 1913 Edition


Spurious

Spu′ri-ous

(spū′rĭ-ŭs)
,
Adj.
[L.
spurius
.]
1.
Not proceeding from the true source, or from the source pretended; not genuine; counterfeit; false; adulterate.
2.
Not legitimate; bastard;
as,
spurious
issue
.
“Her spurious firstborn.”
Milton.
Spurious primary
, or
Spurious quill
(Zool.)
,
the first, or outer, primary quill when rudimentary or much reduced in size, as in certain singing birds.
Spurious wing
(Zool.)
,
the bastard wing, or alula.
Syn. – Counterfeit; false; adulterate; supposititious; fictitious; bastard.
Spu′ri-ous-ly
,
adv.
Spu′ri-ous-ness
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition


Spurious

SPURIOUS

,
Adj.
[L.]
1.
Not genuine; not proceeding from the true source, or from the source pretended; counterfeit; false; adulterate. Spurious writings are such as are not composed by the authors to whom they are ascribed. Spurious drugs are common. The reformed churches reject spurious ceremonies and traditions.
2.
Not legitimate; bastard; as spurious issue. By the laws of England, one begotten and born out of lawful matrimony, is a spurious child.
Spurious disease, a disease not of the genuine type, but bearing a resemblance in its symptoms.

Definition 2024


spurious

spurious

English

Adjective

spurious (comparative more spurious, superlative most spurious)

  1. false, not authentic, not genuine
    • 2013, Russell Brand, Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems' (in The Guardian, 13 September 2013)
      We witness that there is a relationship between government, media and industry that is evident even at this most spurious and superficial level. These three institutions support one another. We know that however cool a media outlet may purport to be, their primary loyalty is to their corporate backers. We know also that you cannot criticise the corporate backers openly without censorship and subsequent manipulation of this information.
  2. (archaic) bastardly, illegitimate
    • Milton
      her spurious firstborn

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