factoid
factoid Lexical Profile
factoid Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An assumption or speculative statement that is reported and repeated so often that it comes to be accepted as a fact, despite being unverified or false.
"The claim that humans use only ten percent of their brains is a persistent factoid with no basis in neuroscience."
A brief or trivial item of true information.
"The travel guide is filled with entertaining factoids about the city's architecture and history."
Word Nuance & Usage
Originally coined to mean an invented or unverified statement repeated until accepted as true, "factoid" is now widely used in informal contexts to mean a brief, trivial piece of true information. Careful writers often avoid the second sense to prevent ambiguity.
• Rhymes for factoid
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined by American author Norman Mailer in his 1973 biography of Marilyn Monroe, combining "fact" with the Greek-derived suffix "-oid" (resembling).