proverb · Words worth keeping
A half truth is a whole lie.
A half truth is a whole lie.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A half truth called a whole lie warns that selective accuracy can mislead. The saying asks whether omitted context changes what a listener understands.
What the words are saying
The equation is rhetorical rather than proof that every brief or partial account is deceitful. A useful interpretation examines relevant omissions, purpose and effects. No person can say everything, and privacy or a limited question may justify a narrower answer without manufacturing a false impression.
Everyday example
A reader asks whether a technically accurate summary omits information needed to assess its claim.
When to use it
Use it to discuss misleading omission with context and confidentiality considered.
What it does not mean
Incomplete information does not automatically prove deliberate deception.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
United States
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 159; PDF page 20; collection label: United States
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- United States