factoid

[ fak-toid ]

/ ˈfæk tɔɪd /

an insignificant or trivial fact.

something fictitious or unsubstantiated that is presented as fact, devised especially to gain publicity and accepted because of constant repetition.

Origin of factoid

First recorded in 1973; fact + -oid

fac·toi·dal, adjective

Though it does note that she has a tattoo—and that factoid is helpfully paired with the phrase “tough as nails.”

Leave Jill Abramson Alone, You Sexists |Tricia Romano |April 24, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
And by consumer and supplier agreement, no fact, factoid, or truthiness is too small to register.

Can the Heart and Blood-Pressure Pill Propranolol Cure Racism? |Kent Sepkowitz |March 13, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
McCarthy contributes the factoid, “We have four million more government jobs in America than manufacturing jobs.”

Paul Ryan Breaks Rank |John Batchelor |September 26, 2010 |DAILY BEAST

factoid

/ (ˈfæktɔɪd) /

a piece of unreliable information believed to be true because of the way it is presented or repeated in print

C20 (coined by Norman Mailer): from fact + -oid