factoid
noun
Did you know?
Did you know that Norman Mailer coined the word factoid?
In his 1973 book Marilyn (about Marilyn Monroe), Norman Mailer describes factoids as "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper, creations which are not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority." Mailer's use of the -oid suffix (which traces back to the ancient Greek word eidos, meaning "appearance" or "form") follows in the pattern of humanoid: just as a humanoid appears to be human but is not, a factoid appears to be factual but is not. The word has since evolved so that now it most often refers to things that decidedly are facts, just not ones that are significant.
Examples of factoid in a Sentence
Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Still, all of these factoids feel inadequate in capturing the deeper benefit of sustained meditation practice.
—Kate Siber, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025
McDermott skeptics recite factoids that suggest if a coach and a talented QB can’t get the job done within a few years, then that coach will never succeed and should be replaced.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Returning producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner this year threw in some old-skool 1990s MTV on-screen factoids for social media (Anya Taylor-Joy has three citizenships?) and pin drops of nominees in the crowd when their names were read out.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for factoid
Cite this Entry
“Factoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/factoid. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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factoid
noun
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