white lieˌwhite ˈlie noun [countable] informal 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- What's the harm of a white lie if it will make her feel better?
- Do you get just a little sort of tap for a white lie but minced up for murder?
- What did it matter, a little white lie like that?
- Why hadn't she told a white lie and claimed she had a licence?
THESAURUS► lie
a lie that you tell someone in order to protect them or avoid hurting their feelings noun [countable] something you say or write that you know is untrue: · Would you tell lies to protect a friend?· The allegation is a complete lie.
► white lie noun [countable] informal a lie that you tell to avoid upsetting someone: · We all tell white lies sometimes.
► fib noun [countable] informal a lie, especially about something that is not very important – used especially by children: · Have you been telling fibs?
► porky noun [countable usually plural] British English informal a lie – a very informal use: · He’s been telling porkies again.
► falsehood noun [countable] formal a statement that is not true, especially one that is intended to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · He described the allegations as malicious falsehoods.
► untruth noun [countable] formal a lie – used especially when you want to avoid saying the word lie: · Some workers go off and tell untruths about the organisations for which they are working.
► fabrication noun [countable, uncountable] formal a story or claim that someone has invented in order to deceive someone, or the act of doing this: · The claim was described as a fabrication by the police prosecutor.· He dismissed the charges as pure fabrication.
► libel noun [uncountable] law the crime of writing lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, especially in a newspaper or magazine: · She sued the newspaper for libel.· libel laws
► slander noun [countable, uncountable] law the crime of speaking lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, or an untrue statement which does this: · He’s threatening to sue them for slander.· a slander on the good name of the company· Linking his name to terrorism was a slander.
Longman Language Activatorsomething untrue that is said or written► lie something that you say which you know is not true: · Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie.lie about: · How can the newspapers print all these lies about her?a pack of lies (=so many lies that you feel shocked or angry): · He called the report "a pack of lies".a bald-faced/an outright/a downright lie (=a clear and shocking lie): · Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies".
► white lie a lie that does not harm anyone, especially one that is told in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings: · It's just a little white lie. No real harm done.· I told him his suit looked wonderful, which was a white lie.· "I'm sorry I couldn't come. I had a really bad headache," she explained, resorting to a white lie.
► fib informal a lie, especially one that is not very important: · You're not telling me a fib, are you?fib about: · I had to make up some fib about why I was late.
► falsehood formal an untrue statement or story, especially one that has been carefully and deliberately invented to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · Mudge, in a written statement Wednesday, said the article was a collection of "falsehoods and misinformation".spread a falsehood: · Why Campbell had chosen to spread such a falsehood is a mystery.
► half-truth a statement that is almost a lie because it does not tell the whole truth about something: · McCarthy's blend of half-truths and lies ruined many careers in government and the professions.· Forbes' book on Bonham is littered with half-truths, and, in some cases, outright lies.
► misinformation incorrect information, especially information that is deliberately intended to deceive people: · According to Kramer, the Internet is a storehouse of lies and misinformation.misinformation about: · "For months, the Democrats have run television commercials filled with misinformation about the Republican Party," said Dawson.
► disinformation false information which is given deliberately in order to hide the truth or confuse people, especially in political situations: · The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "disinformation".disinformation about: · Logan said government agents are still spreading disinformation about leaders of the political reform movement.
► propaganda false or partly false information that is spread by a government or political organization, in order to make people support and agree with their political aims and beliefs: · Propaganda is a tool of war.Communist/US etc propaganda: · Radio Marti is still there, spewing its US propaganda across the waters toward Cuba.propaganda campaign (=an organized plan to spread propaganda): · In Najaf, Khomeini had begun a propaganda campaign against the Shah.anti-Western/anti-Communist/anti-Labour etc propaganda: · a piece of anti-Communist propaganda
► smear campaign when people tell lies about someone in the newspapers, on television etc, in order to make people have a bad opinion of that person: mount a smear campaign against somebody: · The Labour Party mounted a smear campaign against Livingstone before the election.