disinformation

Composed of dis- +‎ information.^[1] Attested in the sense “intentional misinformation” in English from 1939.^[2] A different usage of disinformation occurred earlier, as early as 1887, as a simple synonym of misinformation.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌdɪsɪnfəˈmeɪʃ(ə)n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪsˌɪnfɚˈmeɪʃən/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

disinformation (usually uncountable, plural disinformations)

1. False information intentionally disseminated to deliberately confuse or mislead; intentional misinformation.
2. Fabricated or deliberately manipulated content; intentionally created conspiracy theories or rumors.
   • 2025 May 27, Thomas Carothers, “A new low on US democracy support”, in POLITICO‎^[1]:

     Moreover, Trump’s use of obvious disinformation — the amateurish video he showed Ramaphosa, and his accompanying statements about the “over a thousand” killings of white farmers — to try and make his case has uprooted whatever U.S. credibility had survived over the last several months.

disinformation (third-person singular simple present disinformations, present participle disinformationing, simple past and past participle disinformationed)

1. (transitive) To use disinformation.

   A country cannot disinformation its way out of fallen soldiers.

• “disinformation”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “disinformation, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “disinformation”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “disinformation”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “disinformation” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2025.