falsely
adv.in a way that is not true or correct. You use this when someone says or does something that gives a wrong impression.
adv.in a manner that is incorrect, untrue, or deceptive. Often describes actions that lead to a wrongful accusation or a mistaken belief.
“He was falsely accused of stealing the money.”
“The witness was found to have testified falsely during the trial, leading to a mistrial.”
“The marketing campaign was criticized for falsely implying that the product was organic when it actually contained several synthetic additives.”
Typically modifies verbs related to communication or legal status, such as 'accuse', 'claim', or 'testify'.
Learners often use the adjective 'false' where the adverb 'falsely' is required to modify a verb.
“On GitHub, he wrote, “I hope this app is useful for someone,” but “I do not want to promote techsolutionism, nor do I want people to feel falsely secure.”
“Arday, 41, has admitted “mistakes”, but says he has been falsely framed as “this kind of liar and fantasist”.”
From Middle English falsly, falsliche, equivalent to false + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.