What Exactly is a Half Truth? Isn't That Like Saying a "Half-Lie?"

I suppose it's how you look at things. Like if you were an optimist you might say that the glass is "Half Full" while the pessimist might be looking at it as "half empty."


Wikipedia defines Half Truth as being:

A half-truth is a deceptive statement that includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true but only part of the whole truth, or it may utilize some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade, blame or misrepresent the truth.

Mirriam-Websters Dictionary:

Main Entry: half–truth
Pronunciation: \-ˌtrüth\
Function: noun
Date: 1658

1 : a statement that is only partially true
2 : a statement that mingles truth and falsehood with deliberate intent to deceive