Word of the Day

: July 20, 2007

disinformation

noun dis-in-fer-MAY-shun

What It Means

: false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth

disinformation in Context

The writer's latest book examines the effects of propaganda and disinformation during the Cold War.

Did You Know?

In 1939, a writer describing Nazi intelligence activities noted, "The mood of national suspicion prevalent during the last decade ... is well illustrated by General Krivitsky's account of the German 'Disinformation Service,' engaged in manufacturing fake military plans for the express purpose of having them stolen by foreign governments." Although the Nazis were accused of using disinformation back in the 1930s, the noun and the practice are most often associated with the Soviet KGB. Many people think "disinformation" is a literal translation of the Russian "dezinformatsiya," which means "misinformation," a term the KGB allegedly used in the 1950s to name a department created to dispense propaganda.