Part 22
484. Belief — N. belief; credence; credit; assurance; faith, trust, troth, confidence, presumption, sanguine expectation &c (hope) 858; dependence on, reliance on. persuasion, conviction, convincement†, plerophory†, self- conviction; certainty &c 474; opinion, mind, view; conception, thinking; impression &c (idea) 453; surmise &c 514; conclusion &c (judgment) 480. tenet, dogma, principle, way of thinking; popular belief &c (assent) 488. firm belief, implicit belief, settled belief, fixed rooted deep- rooted belief, staunch belief, unshaken belief, steadfast belief, inveterate belief, calm belief, sober belief, dispassionate belief, impartial belief, well-founded belief, firm opinion, implicit opinion, settled opinion, fixed rooted deep-rooted opinion, staunch opinion, unshaken opinion, steadfast opinion, inveterate opinion, calm opinion, sober opinion, dispassionate opinion, impartial opinion, well-founded opinion &c; uberrima fides [Lat.]. system of opinions, school, doctrine, articles, canons; article of faith, declaration of faith, profession of faith; tenets, credenda†, creed; thirty-nine articles &c (orthodoxy) 983.1; catechism; assent &c 488; propaganda &c (teaching) 537. credibility &c (probability) 472. V. believe, credit; give faith to, give credit to, credence to; see, realize; assume, receive; set down for, take for; have it, take it; consider, esteem, presume. count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon; lay one's account for; make sure of. make oneself easy about, on that score; take on trust, take on credit; take for granted, take for gospel; allow some weight to, attach some weight to. know, know for certain; have know, make no doubt; doubt not; be, rest assured &c adj.; persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself; make up one's mind. give one credit for; confide in, believe in, put one's trust in; place in, repose in, implicit confidence in; take one's word for, at one's word; place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to. think, hold; take, take it; opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow†, ween†, fancy, apprehend; have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion &c n.. view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as; surmise &c 514. get it into one's head, take it into one's head; come round to an opinion; swallow &c (credulity) 486. cause to be believed &c v.; satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure; convince, convict†, convert; wean, bring round; bring over, win over; indoctrinate &c (teach) 537; cram down the throat; produce conviction, carry conviction; bring home to, drive home to. go down, find credence, pass current; be received &c v., be current &c adj.; possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind. Adj. believing &c v.; certain, sure, assured, positive, cocksure, satisfied, confident, unhesitating, convinced, secure. under the impression; impressed with, imbued with, penetrated with. confiding, suspectless†; unsuspecting, unsuspicious; void of suspicion; credulous &c 486; wedded to. believed &c v.; accredited, putative; unsuspected. worthy of, deserving of, commanding belief; credible, reliable, trustworthy, to be depended on; satisfactory; probably &c 472; fiducial†, fiduciary; persuasive, impressive. relating to belief, doctrinal. Adv. in the opinion of, in the eyes of; me judice [Lat.]; meseems†, methinks; to the best of one's belief; I dare say, I doubt not, I have no doubt, I am sure; sure enough &c (certainty) 474; depend upon, rely upon it; be assured, rest assured; I'll warrant you &c (affirmation) 535. Phr. experto crede [Lat.] [Vergil]; fata viam invenient [Lat.]; Justitiae soror incorrupta Fides [Lat.]; live to explain thy doctrine by thy life [Prior]; stands not within the prospect of belief [Macbeth]; tarde quae credita laedunt credimus [Lat.] [Ovid]; vide et crede [Lat.].
485. Unbelief. Doubt — N. unbelief, disbelief, misbelief; discredit, miscreance†; infidelity &c (irreligion) 989 [Obs.]; dissent &c 489; change of opinion &c 484; retraction &c 607. doubt &c (uncertainty) 475; skepticism, scepticism, misgiving, demure; distrust, mistrust, cynicism; misdoubt†, suspicion, jealousy, scruple, qualm; onus probandi [Lat.]. incredibility, incredibleness; incredulity. [person who doubts] doubter, skeptic, cynic.; unbeliever &c 487. V. disbelieve, discredit; not believe &c 484; misbelieve†; refuse to admit &c (dissent) 489; refuse to believe &c (incredulity) 487. doubt; be doubtful &c (uncertain) 475; doubt the truth of; be skeptical as to &c adj.; diffide†; distrust, mistrust; suspect, smoke, scent, smell a rat; have doubts, harbor doubts, entertain doubts, suspicions; have one's doubts. demure, stick at, pause, hesitate, scruple; stop to consider, waver. hang in suspense, hang in doubt. throw doubt upon, raise a question; bring in, call in question; question, challenge, dispute; deny &c 536; cavil; cause a doubt, raise a doubt, start a doubt, suggest a doubt, awake a doubt, make suspicion; ergotize†. startle, stagger; shake one's faith, shake one's belief, stagger one's faith, stagger one's belief. Adj. unbelieving; skeptical, sceptical. incredulous as to, skeptical as to; distrustful as to, shy as to, suspicious of; doubting &c v.. doubtful &c (uncertain) 475; disputable; unworthy of, undeserving of belief &c 484; questionable; suspect, suspicious; open to suspicion, open to doubt; staggering, hard to believe, incredible, unbelievable, not to be believed, inconceivable; impossible &c 471. fallible &c (uncertain) 475; undemonstrable; controvertible &c (untrue) 495. Adv. cum grano salis [Lat.], with a grain of salt; with grains of allowance. Phr. fronti nulla fides [Lat.]; nimium ne crede colori [Lat.] [Vergil]; timeo Danaos et dona ferentes [Vergil], I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts, beware of Greeks bearing gifts; credat Judaeus Apella [Lat.] [Horace]; let those believe who may; ad tristem partem stenua est suspicio [Lat.] [Syrus].
486. Credulity — N. credulity, credulousness &c adj.; cullibility†, gullibility; gross credulity, infatuation; self delusion, self deception; superstition; one's blind side; bigotry &c (obstinacy) 606; hyperorthodoxy &c 984 [Obs.]; misjudgment &c 481. credulous person &c (dupe) 547. V. be credulous &c adj.; jurare in verba magistri [Lat.]; follow implicitly; swallow, gulp down; take on trust; take for granted, take for gospel; run away with a notion, run away with an idea; jump to a conclusion, rush to a conclusion; think the moon is made of green cheese; take for granted, grasp the shadow for the substance; catch at straws, grasp at straws. impose upon &c (deceive) 545. Adj. credulous, gullible; easily deceived &c 545; simple, green, soft, childish, silly, stupid; easily convinced; over-credulous, over confident, over trustful; infatuated, superstitious; confiding &c (believing) 484. Phr. the wish the father to the thought; credo quia impossibile [Lat.] [Tertullian]; all is not gold that glitters; no es oro todo lo que reluce [Sp.]; omne ignotum pro magnifico [Lat.].
487. Incredulity — N. incredulousness†, incredulity; skepticism, pyrrhonism†; want of faith &c (irreligion) 989 [Obs.]. suspiciousness &c adj.; scrupulosity; suspicion &c (unbelief) 485. mistrust, cynicism. unbeliever, skeptic, cynic; misbeliever.1, pyrrhonist; heretic &c (heterodox) 984. V. be incredulous &c adj.; distrust &c (disbelieve) 485; refuse to believe; shut one's eyes to, shut one's ears to; turn a deaf ear to; hold aloof, ignore, nullis jurare in verba magistri [Lat.]. Adj. incredulous, skeptical, unbelieving, inconvincible†; hard of belief, shy of belief, disposed to doubt, indisposed to believe; suspicious, scrupulous, distrustful, cynical;
488. Assent — N. assent, assentment†; acquiescence, admission; nod; accord, concord, concordance; agreement &c 23; affirmance, affirmation; recognition, acknowledgment, avowal; confession of faith. unanimity, common consent, consensus, acclamation, chorus, vox populi; popular belief, current belief, current opinion; public opinion; concurrence &c (of causes) 178; cooperation &c (voluntary) 709. ratification, confirmation, corroboration, approval, acceptance, visa; indorsement &c (record) 551 [Obs.]. consent &c (compliance) 762. pressure to conform, herd instinct, peer pressure. V. assent; give assent, yield assent, nod assent; acquiesce; agree &c 23; receive, accept, accede, accord, concur, lend oneself to, consent, coincide, reciprocate, go with; be at one with &c adj.; go along with, chime in with, strike in with, close in with; echo, enter into one's views, agree in opinion; vote, give one's voice for; recognize; subscribe to, conform to, defer to; say yes to, say ditto, amen to, say aye to. acknowledge, own, admit, allow, avow, confess; concede &c (yield) 762; come round to; abide by; permit &c 760. arrive at an understanding, come to an understanding, come to terms, come to an agreement. confirm, affirm; ratify, appprove, indorse, countersign; corroborate &c 467. go with the stream, swim with the stream, go with the flow, blow with the wind; be in fashion, join in the chorus, join the crowd, be one of the guys, be part of the group, go with the crowd, don't make waves; be in every mouth. Adj. assenting &c v.; of one accord, of one mind; of the same mind, at one with, agreed, acquiescent, content; willing &c 602. uncontradicted, unchallenged, unquestioned, uncontroverted. carried, agreed, nem. con. [Lat.], nemine contradicente [Lat.], &c adv.; unanimous; agreed on all hands, carried by acclamation. affirmative &c 535. Adv. yes, yea, ay, aye, true; good; well; very well, very true; well and good; granted; even so, just so; to be sure, 'thou hast said', you said it, you said a mouthful; truly, exactly, precisely, that's just it, indeed, certainly, you bet, certes [Lat.], ex concesso [Lat.]; of course, unquestionably, assuredly, no doubt, doubtless; naturally, natch. be it so; so be it, so let it be; amen; willingly &c 602. affirmatively, in the affirmative. OK, all right, might as well, why not? with one consent, with one voice, with one accord; unanimously, una voce, by common consent, in chorus, to a man; nem. con, nemine contradicente [Lat.]; nemine dissentiente [Lat.]; without a dissentient voice; as one man, one and all, on all hands. Phr. avec plaisir [Fr.]; chi tace accousente [It]; the public mind is the creation of the Master-Writers [Disraeli]; you bet your sweet ass it is; what are we waiting for? whenever you're ready; anytime you're ready.
489. Dissent — N. dissent; discordance &c (disagreement) 24; difference diversity of opinion. nonconformity &c (heterodoxy) 984; protestantism, recusancy, schism; disaffection; secession &c 624; recantation &c 607. dissension &c (discord) 713; discontent &c 832; cavilling. protest; contradiction &c (denial) 536; noncompliance &c (rejection) 764. dissentient, dissenter; non-juror, non-content, nonconformist; sectary, separatist, recusant, schismatic, protestant, heretic. refusal &c 764. V. dissent, demur; call in question &c (doubt) 485; differ in opinion, disagree; say no &c 536; refuse assent, refuse to admit; cavil, protest, raise one's voice against, repudiate; contradict &c (deny) 536. have no notion of, differ toto caelo [Lat.]; revolt at, revolt from the idea. shake the head, shrug the shoulders; look askance, look askant†. secede; recant &c 607. Adj. dissenting &c v.; negative &c 536; dissident, dissentient; unconsenting &c (refusing) 764; non-content, nonjuring†; protestant, recusant; unconvinced, unconverted. unavowed, unacknowledged; out of the question. discontented &c 832; unwilling &c 603; extorted. sectarian, denominational, schismatic; heterodox; intolerant. Adv. no &c 536; at variance, at issue with; under protest. Int. God forbid!, not for the world; I'll be hanged if; never tell me; your humble servant, pardon me. Phr. many men many minds; quot homines tot sententiae [Lat.] [Terence]; tant s'en faut [Fr.]; il s'en faut bien [Fr.]; no way; by no means; count me out.
490. Knowledge — N. knowledge; cognizance, cognition, cognoscence†; acquaintance, experience, ken [Scot.], privity†, insight, familiarity; comprehension, apprehension; recognition; appreciation &c (judgment) 480; intuition; conscience, consciousness; perception, precognition; acroamatics†. light, enlightenment; glimpse, inkling; glimmer, glimmering; dawn; scent, suspicion; impression &c (idea) 453; discovery &c 480.1. system of knowledge, body of knowledge; science, philosophy, pansophy†; acroama†; theory, aetiology†, etiology; circle of the sciences; pandect†, doctrine, body of doctrine; cyclopedia, encyclopedia; school &c (system of opinions) 484. tree of knowledge; republic of letters &c (language) 560. erudition, learning, lore, scholarship, reading, letters; literature; book madness; book learning, bookishness; bibliomania†, bibliolatry†; information, general information; store of knowledge &c; education &c (teaching) 537; culture, menticulture†, attainments; acquirements, acquisitions; accomplishments; proficiency; practical knowledge &c (skill) 698; liberal education; dilettantism; rudiments &c (beginning) 66. deep knowledge, profound knowledge, solid knowledge, accurate knowledge, acroatic knowledge†, acroamatic knowledge†, vast knowledge, extensive knowledge, encyclopedic knowledge, encyclopedic learning; omniscience, pantology†. march of intellect; progress of science, advance of science, advance of learning; schoolmaster abroad. [person who knows much] scholar &c 492. V. know, ken [Scot.], scan, wot†; wot aware†, be aware of &c adj.; ween†, weet†, trow†, have, possess. conceive; apprehend, comprehend; take, realize, understand, savvy [Slang], appreciate; fathom, make out; recognize, discern, perceive, see, get a sight-of, experience. know full well; have some knowledge of, possess some knowledge of; be au courant &c adj.; have in one's head, have at one' fingers ends; know by heart, know by rote; be master of; connaitre le dessous des cartes [Fr.], know what's what &c 698. see one's way; discover &c 480.1. come to one's knowledge &c (information) 527. Adj. knowing &c v.; cognitive; acroamatic†. aware of, cognizant of, conscious of; acquainted with, made acquainted with; privy to, no stranger to; au fait with, au courant; in the secret; up to, alive to; behind the scenes, behind the curtain; let into; apprized of, informed of; undeceived. proficient with, versed with, read with, forward with, strong with, at home in; conversant with, familiar with. erudite, instructed, leaned, lettered, educated; well conned, well informed, well read, well grounded, well educated; enlightened, shrewd, savant, blue, bookish, scholastic, solid, profound, deep-read, book- learned; accomplished &c (skillful) 698; omniscient; self-taught. known &c v.; ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted; proverbial; familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy; hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace. cognoscible†, cognizable. Adv. to one's knowledge, to the best of one's knowledge. Phr. one's eyes being opened &c (disclosure) 529; ompredre tout c'est tout pardonner [Fr.], to know all is to pardon all; empta dolore docet experientia [Lat.]; gnothi seauton [Gr.]; half our knowledge we must snatch not take [Pope]; Jahre lehren mehr als Bucher [G.], years teach more than books [G.]; knowledge comes but wisdom lingers [Tennyson]; knowledge is power [Bacon]; les affaires font les hommes [Fr.]; nec scire fas est omnia [Lat.] [Horace]; the amassed thought and experience of innumerable minds [Emerson]; was ich nicht weiss macht mich nicht heiss [G.].
491. Ignorance — N. ignorance, nescience, tabula rasa [Lat.], crass ignorance, ignorance crasse [Fr.]; unfamiliarity, unacquaintance†; unconsciousness &c adj.; darkness, blindness; incomprehension, inexperience, simplicity. unknown quantities, x, y, z. sealed book, terra incognita, virgin soil, unexplored ground; dark ages. [Imperfect knowledge] smattering, sciolism†, glimmering, dilettantism; bewilderment &c (uncertainty) 475; incapacity. [Affectation of knowledge] pedantry; charlatanry, charlatism†; Philister†, Philistine. V. be ignorant &c adj.; not know &c 490; know not, know not what, know nothing of; have no idea, have no notion, have no conception; not have the remotest idea; not know chalk from cheese. ignore, be blind to; keep in ignorance &c (conceal) 528. see through a glass darkly; have a film over the eyes, have a glimmering &c n.; wonder whether; not know what to make of &c (unintelligibility) 519; not pretend to take upon, not take upon one self to say. Adj. ignorant; nescient; unknowing, unaware, unacquainted, unapprised, unapprized†, unwitting, unweeting†, unconscious; witless, weetless†; a stranger to; unconversant†. uninformed, uncultivated, unversed, uninstructed, untaught, uninitiated, untutored, unschooled, misguided, unenlightened; Philistine; behind the age. shallow, superficial, green, rude, empty, half-learned, illiterate; unread, uninformed, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unbookish; empty-headed, dizzy, wooly-headed; pedantic; in the dark; benighted, belated; blinded, blindfolded; hoodwinked; misinformed; au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault; at sea &c (uncertain) 475; caught tripping. unknown, unapprehended, unexplained, unascertained, uninvestigated†, unexplored, unheard of, not perceived; concealed &c 528; novel. Adv. ignorantly &c adj.; unawares; for anything, for aught one knows; not that one knows. Int. God knows, Heaven knows, the Lord knows, who knows, nobody knows. Phr. ignorance never settles a question [Disraeli]; quantum animis erroris inest! [Lat.] [Ovid]; small Latin and less Greek [B. Jonson]; that unlettered small-knowing soul [Love's Labor's Lost]; there is no darkness but ignorance [Twelfth Night].
492. Scholar — N. scholar, connoisseur, savant, pundit, schoolman†, professor, graduate, wrangler; academician, academist†; master of arts, doctor, licentitate, gownsman; philosopher, master of math; scientist, clerk; sophist, sophister†; linguist; glossolinguist, philologist; philologer†; lexicographer, glossographer; grammarian; litterateur [Fr.], literati, dilettanti, illuminati, cogniscenti [It]; fellow, Hebraist, lexicologist, mullah, munshi†, Sanskritish; sinologist, sinologue†; Mezzofanti†, admirable Crichton, Mecaenas. bookworm, helluo librorum [Lat.]; bibliophile, bibliomaniac†; bluestocking, bas-bleu [Fr.]; bigwig, learned Theban, don; Artium Baccalaureus [Lat.], Artium Magister [Lat.]. learned man, literary man; homo multarum literarum [Lat.]; man of learning, man of letters, man of education, man of genius. antiquarian, antiquary; archaeologist. sage &c (wise man) 500. pedant, doctrinaire; pedagogue, Dr. Pangloss; pantologist†, criminologist. schoolboy &c (learner) 541. Adj. learned &c 490; brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. Phr. he was a scholar and a ripe and good one [Henry VIII]; the manifold linguist [All's Well That Ends Well].
493. Ignoramus — N. ignoramus, dunce; wooden spoon; no scholar. [insulting terms for ignorant person:] (imbecility) 499 (folly) 501 moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole [Vulg.]. [person with superficial knowledge] dilettante, sciolist†, smatterer, dabbler, half scholar; charlatan; wiseacre. greenhorn, amateur &c (dupe) 547; novice, tyro &c (learner) 541; numskull. lubber &c (bungler) 701; fool &c 501; pedant &c 492. Adj. bookless†, shallow; ignorant &c 491. Phr. a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits [Pope].
494. [Object of knowledge.] Truth — N. fact, reality &c (existence) 1; plain fact, plain matter of fact; nature &c (principle) 5; truth, verity; gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth; orthodoxy &c 983.1; authenticity; veracity &c 543; correctness, correctitude†. accuracy, exactitude; exactness, preciseness &c adj.; precision, delicacy; rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality; clockwork precision &c (regularity) 80; conformity to rule; nicety. orthology†; ipsissima verba [Lat.]; realism. plain truth, honest truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth, stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth; nuda veritas [Lat.]; the very thing; not an illusion &c 495; real Simon Pure; unvarnished tale, unvarnished truth; the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth; just the thing. V. be true &c adj., be the case; sand the test; have the true ring; hold good, hold true, hold water. render true, prove true &c adj.; substantiate &c (evidence) 467. get at the truth &c (discover) 480.1. Adj. real, actual &c (existing) 1; veritable, true; right, correct; certain &c 474; substantially true, categorically true, definitively true &c; true to the letter, true as gospel; unimpeachable; veracious &c 543; unreconfuted†, unconfuted†; unideal†, unimagined; realistic. exact, accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so; strict, severe; close &c (similar) 17; literal; rigid, rigorous; scrupulous &c (conscientious) 939; religiously exact, punctual, mathematical, scientific; faithful, constant, unerring; curious,
## particular, nice, delicate, fine; clean-cut, clear-cut.
verified, empirically true, experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated) 478. rigorously true, unquestionably true. true by definition. genuine, authentic, legitimate; orthodox &c 983.1; official, ex officio. pure, natural, sound, sterling; unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished, unalloyed, uncolored; in its true colors; pukka†. well-grounded, well founded; solid, substantial, tangible, valid; undistorted, undisguised; unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering. Adv. truly &c adj.; verily, indeed, really, in reality; with truth &c (veracity) 543; certainly &c (certain) 474; actually &c (existence) 1; in effect &c (intrinsically) 5. exactly &c adj.; ad amussim [Lat.]; verbatim, verbatim et literatim [Lat.]; word for word, literally, literatim [Lat.], totidem vervis [Lat.], sic, to the letter, chapter and verse, ipsissimis verbis [Lat.]; ad unguem [Lat.]; to an inch; to a nicety, to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T; au pied de la lettre [Fr.]; neither more nor less; in every respect, in all respects; sous tous les rapports [Fr.]; at any rate, at all events; strictly speaking. Phr. the truth is, the fact is; rem acu tetigisti [Lat.]; en suivant la verite [Fr.]; ex facto jus oritur [Lat.]; la verita e figlia del empo [It]; locos y ninos dicen la verdad [Sp.], crazy people and children tell the truth; nihil est veritatis luce dulcius [Lat.] [Cicero]; veritas nunquam perit [Lat.] [Seneca]; veritatem dies aperit [Lat.] [Seneca]; the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; just the facts, ma'am, just the facts [Dragnet].
495. Error — N. error, fallacy; misconception, misapprehension, misstanding†, misunderstanding; inexactness &c adj.; laxity; misconstruction &c (misinterpretation) 523; miscomputation &c (misjudgment) 481; non sequitur &c 477; mis-statement, mis-report; mumpsimus†. mistake; miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw, loose thread; trip, stumble &c (failure) 732; botchery &c (want of skill) 699 [Obs.]; slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip; slip of the pen; lapsus linguae [Lat.], clerical error; bull &c (absurdity) 497; haplography†. illusion, delusion; snare; false impression, false idea; bubble; self-decit, self-deception; mists of error. heresy &c (heterodoxy) 984; hallucination &c (insanity) 503; false light &c (fallacy of vision) 443; dream &c (fancy) 515; fable &c (untruth) 546; bias &c (misjudgment) 481; misleading &c v.. V. be erroneous &c adj.. cause error; mislead, misguide; lead astray, lead into error; beguile, misinform &c (misteach) 538 [Obs.]; delude; give a false impression, give a false idea; falsify, misstate; deceive &c 545; lie &c 544. err; be in error &c adj., be mistaken &c v.; be deceived &c (duped) 547; mistake, receive a false impression, deceive oneself; fall into error, lie under error, labor under an error &c n.; be in the wrong, blunder; misapprehend, misconceive, misunderstand, misreckon, miscount, miscalculate &c (misjudge) 481. play at cross purposes, be at cross purposes &c (misinterpret) 523. trip, stumble; lose oneself &c (uncertainty) 475; go astray; fail &c 732; be in the wrong box; take the wrong sow by the ear &c (mismanage) 699; put the saddle on the wrong horse; reckon without one's host; take the shadow for the substance &c (credulity) 486; dream &c (imagine) 515. Adj. erroneous, untrue, false, devoid of truth, fallacious, apocryphal, unreal, ungrounded, groundless; unsubstantial &c 4; heretical &c (heterodox) 984; unsound; illogical &c 477. inexact, unexact inaccurate†, incorrect; indefinite &c (uncertain) 475. illusive, illusory; delusive; mock, ideal &c (imaginary) 515; spurious &c 545; deceitful &c 544; perverted. controvertible, unsustainable; unauthenticated, untrustworthy. exploded, refuted; discarded. in error, under an error &c n.; mistaken &c v.; tripping &c v.; out, out in one's reckoning; aberrant; beside the mark, wide of the mark, wide of the truth, way off, far off; astray &c (at fault) 475; on a false scent, on the wrong scent; in the wrong box, outside the ballpark; at cross purposes, all in the wrong; all out. Adv. more or less. Phr. errare est humanum [Lat.]; mentis gratissimus error [Lat.] [Horace]; on the dubious waves of error tost [Cowper]; to err is human, to forgive divine [Pope]; you lie — under a mistake [Shelley].
496. Maxim — N. maxim, aphorism; apothegm, apophthegm†; dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb; sentence, mot [Fr.], motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis†. axiom, theorem, scholium†, truism, postulate. first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514. reflection &c (idea) 453; conclusion &c (judgment) 480; golden rule &c (precept) 697; principle, principia [Lat.]; profession of faith &c (belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula. accepted fact. received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim &c; true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying &c Adj. aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric†; axiomatic, gnomic. Adv. as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.