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Glite Dictionary
two plus two equals five

two plus two equals five

9.5
A clearly false statement said when people refuse to accept facts
  • idiom
translation icon : dos más dos son cinco
  • Whenever facts are ignored, it feels like two plus two equals five all over again.

Examples

  • Their explanation made about as much sense as two plus two equals five.

  • Calling that outcome fair is like saying two plus two equals five.

  • Saying that two plus two equals five is simply absurd!

  • Isn't it ridiculous to claim two plus two equals five?

  • Claiming that the proposal is beneficial is like saying two plus two equals five, as it defies logic.

  • His argument for the new policy was as absurd as two plus two equals five.

  • Every time he distorts the truth, it feels like two plus two equals five all over again.

Synonyms

hogwash
vstwo plus two equals five
  • Informal
16 7.4

Untrue or silly talk that people should not believe

is used to criticize obviously false claims or situations that deny truth
contradiction in terms
vstwo plus two equals five
6 6.8

A statement that says two things that cannot both be true

is used more broadly for absurd claims or denial of accepted truth

Antonyms

truth
∞ 1.0

A fact that shows how things really are

reality
∞ 1.4

The way things really are, not how we imagine or wish

Surface Forms

two plus two equals five main

Morphology

2 + plus + 2 + equal + five

The phrase is literally composed of familiar numeric and arithmetic words so a learner who knows 'two', 'plus' and 'equals' will immediately see it as an obviously false arithmetic statement. That literal absurdity yields the primary figurative meaning 'an obviously false or absurd claim' without requiring idiomatic knowledge; only the specific political/Orwellian connotation (manipulation of truth) would need extra cultural context.

Etymology

The idiom two plus two equals five comes from the strong image of a very simple sum being declared wrong: someone claims two plus two makes five instead of four. One famous use is in George Orwell's book '1984', where those in power make people accept the lie, so today the phrase means 'an obviously false statement' or a case when the truth is 'twisted'.