What does spuriously mean?
Spuriously means in a way that is false, misleading, or unsupported by genuine evidence. The word is especially common in academic, scientific, and statistical writing, where a result may look significant but arise from chance, faulty measurement, hidden variables, or some other non-genuine cause. A spurious correlation, for example, is an apparent relationship between variables that does not reflect a real underlying connection. The adverb can also describe the production of an unwanted or misleading signal in a technical system. Because it identifies something that only appears valid rather than being plainly wrong in an obvious way, spuriously carries a more formal and investigative tone than words such as falsely or incorrectly. It is useful when distinguishing convincing-looking evidence from reliable evidence, especially in discussions of research, engineering, and data analysis.
adverbIn a false, misleading, or unfounded manner; without genuine cause or justification. It can also describe an apparent effect or relationship that is not real.
- In a false, misleading, or unfounded manner; without genuine cause or justification.
- In a manner that produces or reveals an apparent effect, relationship, or pattern which is not real.
"The apparent improvement in the results was spurious and disappeared when the underlying data were properly controlled."
"The researcher was accused of drawing a conclusion that had been supported only by spurious statistical correlations."
"The signal disappeared, confirming that it had been generated spuriously by the electrical equipment rather than by the experiment."
A spurious result can look convincing right up until someone checks the evidence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spuriously come from?
The adverb was formed in the 17th century from the adjective spurious, which came from Latin spurius, a term associated with illegitimate or false origins. The Latin word is also the source of related English forms such as spuriousness. In modern usage, the adjective and adverb have developed beyond questions of legitimacy to describe anything misleading, unintended, or lacking a genuine basis.
Related word forms
How spuriously is actually used
Spuriously is formal and especially common in academic, scientific, and statistical contexts. It often describes a result, correlation, signal, or claim that appears genuine but has no valid basis.
Easily confused with spuriously
Spurious is the adjective meaning false or lacking genuine justification, while spuriously is the adverb describing something done in that manner.
In technical contexts, spurious means false or unintended, as in a spurious signal, rather than merely inaccurate.