Fallaciously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is deceptive and rooted in incorrect reasoning that fails to adhere to logical principles
2. Executed through misleading arguments that rely on false premises and lack sound judgment
3. In a manner that is founded on incorrect logic and deceptive argumentation

Etymology: "Fallaciously" is a plain formation: the adjective "fallacious" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added to it. The adjective itself comes from "fallacy," which entered English from Latin "fallacia," a word meaning deceit or trickery, from the verb "fallere," to deceive. The sense of "by flawed reasoning" grew out of that older idea of deception, so an argument pursued "fallaciously" is one that misleads through faulty logic rather than through an outright lie. The ending does the grammatical work. It descends from an Old English suffix "-līce," which in turn came from a Germanic root meaning "like" or "in the manner of," the same root that gives the modern "-ly" on adjectives such as "quickly" and "lovely." Attaching it to "fallacious" produces an adverb describing the manner in which something is done.

Synonyms: deceptively, erroneously

Antonyms: truthfully, accurately