submitted 6 days ago by SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/wikipedia@lemmy.world

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A factoid was originally defined to mean a false statement presented as a fact.[1][2] In colloquial speech, it is often used to mean a true but brief or trivial item of news or information (which can be less ambiguously described as a "factlet").

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[-] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 6 days ago

I saw someone use factoid in a manner that I thought was the opposite of the definition. Merriam-Webster has 2 contradictory definitions for it, which I thought was neat. The wiki adds a bit of nuance to the shift in definition, which in itself is a factoid.

[-] silverchase@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago

Now that's a contronym!

this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2026

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