Where Did the Word Feigning Come from?

Feign comes from the Latin fingere "to devise, fabricate." The word fiction comes from the same source, so if you feign something such as sleep, you give off the fiction that you are sleeping.

What is the connotation for the word feigning?

Feigned is an adjective that means "not genuine," like your feigned interest in your friends' discussion of celebrity hairstyle trends. The word feigned, pronounce "faynd," comes from the Old French word feign, which means "pretend, imitate, shirk." Feigned emotions aren't real, and therefore, they are a bit dishonest.

Does feign mean fake?

1. To take on or give a false appearance of: affect, assume, counterfeit, fake, pretend, put on, sham, simulate.

Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.