Such are the times we live in that people are having to check what the definition of a fact is.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary tweeted out the description, indicating they were doing so because of a spike in searches for it.
??A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. https://t.co/gCKRZZm23c
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017
“A piece of information presented as having objective reality”.
“Presented”. It’s a definition that would seemingly please the likes of Donald Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway, who had argued that White House press secretary Sean Spicer didn’t lie about the figures at Trump’s inauguration when he said it was the largest ever – he gave “alternative facts”.
Merriam-Webster said fact spiked “dramatically” after Conway’s comments.
It’s worth noting that the Oxford Dictionary’s definition gives a little less leeway around what a fact is: “a thing that is known or proved to be true”.
"Alternative facts are not facts. They are falsehoods," Chuck Todd tells Pres. Trump's counselor Kellyanne Conway this morning. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/Ao005dQ13r
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 22, 2017
“You’re saying it’s a falsehood, and Sean Spicer our press secretary is giving alternative facts to that,” she said on NBC’s Meet The Press. “Wait a minute, alternative facts? Alternative facts – four of the five facts he uttered, the one that he got right was Zeke Miller, four of the five facts he uttered are not true. Alternative facts are not facts, they’re falsehoods,” Chuck Todd replied.Unsurprisingly “alternative facts” became a trending topic on Twitter, with Conway becoming the second member of Trump’s team after Spicer himself to be trolled in just a few hours.
Sure it does, dictionary. Or should I say OPINIONARY. #alternativefacts https://t.co/umda5FPL40
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) January 22, 2017
Some wanted to make sure they had the definition of an alternative fact down right.
So #FakeNews is anything that discredits you while #AlternativeFacts are lies that handily back up your narrative.
Have I got this right?
— Paul (@MPCmonkey) January 22, 2017
Others found a passage from George Orwell’s 1984 that seemed to talk about something similar.
George Orwell had something to say about #alternativefacts pic.twitter.com/pEqJNgXnCV
— Our Revolution (@OurRevolution) January 22, 2017
Examples of when alternative facts go wrong were given.
I tried putting #alternativefacts on my tax forms and now I'm serving 15 to life ??
— Ohm Shukla?? (@OhmShukla) January 22, 2017
But also how to use the phrase in your everyday life.
From here on out, I do not make typos, I just have #AlternativeSpellings #AlternativeFacts
— Jill Biden (@JillBidenVeep) January 22, 2017
There was a nod to the “alt-right”.
I'm about to devour this alt-salad. #alternativefacts pic.twitter.com/EZKdmDN1RP
— Andrea Chalupa (@AndreaChalupa) January 22, 2017
As well as a great explainer on why this is all quite ridiculous.
You can have alternative music, alternative fashion, alternative ideas. You can't have alternative facts. pic.twitter.com/93cKR4xXTn
— Josh Thomas (@JoshThomas87) November 24, 2015
And if you still need more information on how dangerous alternative facts can be, this should do it.
Re Spicer's lies, this is from someone who worked in a past administration. Important read. pic.twitter.com/XrjLJHRAGL
— Anna Rascouët-Paz (@rascouet) January 22, 2017