spurious

Etymology

From Late Latin spurius (“illegitimate, bastardly”), from spurcus (“foul, base, low”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈspjʊə.ɹi.əs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈspjʊ.ɹi.əs/, /ˈspʊ.ɹi.əs/, /ˈspjɔ.ɹi.əs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊəɹiəs

Adjective

spurious (comparative more spurious, superlative most spurious)

1. false, not authentic, not genuine
   • 2013, Russell Brand, Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems' (in The Guardian, 13 September 2013)

     We witness that there is a relationship between government, media and industry that is evident even at this most spurious and superficial level. These three institutions support one another. We know that however cool a media outlet may purport to be, their primary loyalty is to their corporate backers. We know also that you cannot criticise the corporate backers openly without censorship and subsequent manipulation of this information.

2. (archaic) bastardly, illegitimate
   • Milton

     her spurious firstborn