Meaning of factoid | Babel Free

Definitions

1. An inaccurate statement or statistic believed to be true because of broad repetition, especially if cited in the media.
2. An interesting item of trivia; a minor fact.
   US

Equivalents

Examples

“Such hedging is necessitated by the lack of in-depth knowledge of the contents, which also gives free rein to the scripting of unsubstantiated factoids concerning the book.”

“Wikipedia-derived factoids can be so important that there is a well-known feedback loop, called citogenesis, in which the mainstream news finds some claim⟳ made in a Wikipedia article, and publishes it (without citing Wikipedia). Then Wikipedia itself makes use⟳ of the news article. By means of this loop, an ultimately “sourceless” factoid gains a spurious authority.”

“Given a large enough storehouse of words and a fine filter, would it be possible to see⟳ cultural change⟳ at the micro level, to follow⟳ minute fluctuations in human thought processes and activities? Tiny factoids, multiplied endlessly, might assume⟳ imposing dimensions.”

“Don't parade in front of the audience spewing every factoid you know⟳ on your topic. Only share⟳ the right information for that exact moment with that specific audience.”

CEFR level