Definition

A small piece of information that is often not true or not verified, but is presented as if it is true, usually because it has been repeated many times.

Example

The article was filled with factoids that misled the readers about the history of the event.

Conversation

Did you hear that interesting factoid about how honey never spoils?

No, I didn’t! That’s really cool.

Yeah, I read it somewhere, and it made me think about how many other factoids we believe without checking.

Exactly! It's surprising how many things we take for granted.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Factoid is formed from "fact" (from Latin *factum*, meaning something made or done) and the suffix "-oid" (from Greek *eidos*, meaning form or shape). The word "factoid" refers to a piece of information that is presented as a fact but may not be true or is trivial in nature.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'fact' as something that is 'made' or 'done' and '-oid' meaning 'like' or 'in the form of'. This helps you remember that a factoid is something that resembles a fact but may not be entirely true.

Visually Confused Words