The “-oid” ending in English is normally added to a word to indicatethat an item is not the real thing. A humanoid is not quite human.Originally “factoid” was an ironic term indicating that the “fact” beingoffered was not actually factual. However, CNN and other sources havetaken to treating the “-oid” as if it were a mere diminutive, and usingthe term to mean “trivial but true fact.” As a result, the definition of“factoid” is hopelessly confused and it’s probably better to avoid usingthe term altogether.
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