Disinformation
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or shared to deceive. The label concerns both the content and its intended use, so an inaccurate claim alone cannot establish disinformation. AI-generated material can be used in a deceptive campaign, but generation itself does not demonstrate intent; context and evidence about the communication matter.
Term statusEstablished Concept
A concept used in academic or professional literature. This label does not mean every claim about it is settled. About these labels.
Evidence for the claims on this page: Published definitional framework
The framework distinguishes deceptive intent from accidental sharing. A false statement alone does not establish its author’s intention.
How to read this assessmentWhat it is
Disinformation describes intentional deception through false or misleading information. Frameworks differ in whether they emphasize an intention to mislead, cause harm, or achieve another strategic objective. (Wardle and Derakhshan, 2017)
In everyday language
The defining feature is deliberate deception. The same false message may be disinformation when its creator posts it knowingly and misinformation when someone else repeats it in good faith.
What it isn't
An error, an AI-generated image, or a disagreement is not sufficient to establish disinformation. Labeling content requires attention to context; attributing intent requires additional evidence.
An example
Hypothetical example: someone knowingly publishes a fabricated recording as authentic evidence that an event was canceled. A later reader may pass it on without knowing it is false.
Key features
- Includes an intentional element
- Can use fabricated content or misleading context
- Requires evidence about conduct and intent
How it relates to synthetic imprinting
Deliberate synthetic deception is one possible exposure to study. The proposed framework also includes artificial experiences that are openly fictional or educational.
Research context
The Council of Europe information-disorder framework separates the truth of a message from the intentions of those producing and distributing it. Those intentions can differ along a sharing chain. (Wardle and Derakhshan, 2017)
Related terms
Sources and what they support
- Information Disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making — Claire Wardle, Hossein Derakhshan (2017). Council of Europe.
Research report. Distinguishes misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation by falsity and intent, and examines how information moves through production and distribution.
Cite this definition
SyntheticImprinting.com Editorial Project. (2026-09-27). Disinformation. Version 1.4. SyntheticImprinting.com. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/disinformation/
APA: SyntheticImprinting.com. (2026). Disinformation. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/disinformation/
MLA: “Disinformation.” SyntheticImprinting.com, 2026, https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/disinformation/. Accessed November 12, 2026.
Chicago: SyntheticImprinting.com. “Disinformation.” Last modified 2026-09-27. https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/disinformation/.
Revision history
- Version 1.4 · Current
Added claim-level citations and a separate assessment of evidence support. The opening definition is unchanged.
Read this version’s definition
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or shared to deceive. The label concerns both the content and its intended use, so an inaccurate claim alone cannot establish disinformation. AI-generated material can be used in a deceptive campaign, but generation itself does not demonstrate intent; context and evidence about the communication matter.
- Version 1.3
Expanded the opening definition; added explicit boundaries, source context, related-term cards, and linked editorial attribution.
Read the previous definition
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or shared to deceive. The label concerns both the content and its intended use, so an inaccurate claim alone cannot establish disinformation. AI-generated material can be used in a deceptive campaign, but generation itself does not demonstrate intent; context and evidence about the communication matter.
- Version 1.0
Definition recorded in the previous release. Earlier edits are not reconstructed here.
Read the previous definition
Disinformation is false or misleading information deliberately created or shared to deceive.
What the status means
Established Concept
A concept used in academic or professional literature. This label does not mean every claim about it is settled.
How evidence labels workHelp improve this entry
Suggest a correction to Disinformation. Your email app opens with the page address and version included. Add the passage, your suggested change, and a source if you have one.