Definition

1. Noun:
   • Deliberately false or misleading information: "Disinformation" refers to information that is intentionally created and spread to deceive people, manipulate public opinion, or achieve a specific goal, such as confusing rivals, foreign adversaries, or business competitors.

Usage

• Disinformation is an uncountable noun. It refers to the general concept or a body of false information, not a single piece.
• It is often used in contexts involving politics, warfare, espionage, and media manipulation.
• The key distinction from "misinformation" is intent; disinformation is spread with the deliberate purpose to deceive.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The intelligence agency was accused of spreading disinformation to destabilize the foreign government.
  • During the election, voters were bombarded with online disinformation designed to influence their choices.
  • Combating disinformation has become a major challenge for social media platforms.

Advanced Usage

• "A campaign of disinformation": A coordinated, large-scale effort to spread false information.

  • The company launched a campaign of disinformation to discredit its main competitor.

• "To be a victim of disinformation": To be deceived by intentionally false information.

  • Many citizens were victims of the disinformation circulated during the crisis.

Variants and Related Words

• Disinform (verb, rare): To deliberately supply with false information.

  • The agent sought to disinform the enemy about their plans.

• Disinformer (noun): A person or entity that spreads disinformation.

Synonyms

• Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view. (Propaganda can be based on truth, while disinformation is inherently false).
• Fake news: A modern, informal term often synonymous with disinformation, referring to fabricated news stories.

Related Phrases

• Information warfare: The use and management of information to gain a competitive advantage over an opponent, which often involves disinformation.
• Psychological operations (PSYOP): Military operations intended to influence the emotions and reasoning of a target audience, frequently employing disinformation.

Idioms and Common Collocations

• To peddle/dispense disinformation: To actively spread false information.

  • Certain websites exist only to peddle disinformation.

• A web/network of disinformation: A complex system of interconnected sources spreading falsehoods.

  • Investigators uncovered a vast network of disinformation aimed at swaying public opinion.

Noun

1. misinformation that is deliberately disseminated in order to influence or confuse rivals (foreign enemies or business competitors etc.)