Why does `bool("False")` evaluate to `True` in Python?

Python checks whether a value is truthy, not whether a string spells a Boolean word. A nonempty string is true in a Boolean context, so "False" produces True; an empty string produces False. The actual Boolean False is false. [S1]

These are different values:

print(bool("False"))  # True: nonempty string
print(bool(""))       # False: empty string
print(bool(False))    # False: Boolean value

The quotation marks matter: "False" is text, while False without quotation marks is a Boolean.

Yes. This runnable example prints each value and its type alongside its truth value:

values = ["False", "", False, "0", 0]

for value in values:
    print(repr(value), type(value).__name__, bool(value))

The key results are "False" → True, "" → False, and False → False. The string "0" is also true because it is nonempty; the number 0 is false. Python treats empty strings and numeric zero as false, while nonempty strings are true. [S1] This comparison shows truthiness, not conversion of text into a Boolean.

Check the text’s content explicitly instead of calling bool() on it. For example, if your accepted inputs are only true and false (regardless of capitalization or surrounding spaces), validate those choices and reject anything else:

text = "False"  # Example input; replace with your text value.
normalized = text.strip().lower()

if normalized == "true":
    enabled = True
elif normalized == "false":
    enabled = False
else:
    raise ValueError("Expected true or false")

print(enabled)  # False

That code defines a particular input rule: it accepts those two words after trimming and lowercasing. It does not mean Python’s bool() parses strings. Decide what inputs your program should accept, and handle other values deliberately.

Inspect both the value and its type, then decide whether you want a truthiness check or a text-to-Boolean conversion. For example, print(repr(value), type(value).__name__) can reveal whether a value is the string "False" or the Boolean False. If it is a string, if value: checks whether the string is nonempty; it does not interpret the word inside it. [S1]

A useful rule of thumb: use if value: when you mean “is this value nonempty or otherwise truthy?” Use explicit validation and comparison when you mean “does this text represent true or false?” The truthiness comparison alone cannot establish what input your application should accept; that is a rule you must choose.