truth 1 Americannoun plural truths- the true or actual state of a matter. He tried to find out the truth.

• Synonyms:
• fact
• Antonyms:
• falsehood

conformity with fact or reality; verity. the truth of a statement.

• Synonyms:
• veracity
• Antonyms:
• falsity

a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like. mathematical truths.

the state or character of being true.

• Antonyms:
• falsity

actuality or actual existence.

(often initial capital letter) ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience. the basic truths of life.

agreement with a standard or original.

accuracy, as of position or adjustment.

honesty; sincerity; truthfulness.

• Antonyms:
• falsity

Archaic. fidelity or constancy. idioms noun noun

the quality of being true, genuine, actual, or factual the truth of his statement was attested

something that is true as opposed to false you did not tell me the truth

a proven or verified principle or statement; fact the truths of astronomy

(usually plural) a system of concepts purporting to represent some aspect of the world the truths of ancient religions

fidelity to a required standard or law

faithful reproduction or portrayal the truth of a portrait

an obvious fact; truism; platitude

honesty, reliability, or veracity the truth of her nature

accuracy, as in the setting, adjustment, or position of something, such as a mechanical instrument

the state or quality of being faithful; allegiance Usage What is a basic definition of truth? Truth means the actual state of a matter, an adherence to reality, or an indisputable fact. Truth has several other senses as a noun. The truth refers to the version of reality that we exist in. Putting it more simply, if you are “telling the truth,” you are describing the world as it actually is and not making things up or telling lies.

• Real-life examples: Police detectives try to discover the truth when investigating crimes so that they don’t arrest the wrong person. Criminals often hide or distort the truth so that they won’t get caught.
• Used in a sentence: I told my mom I passed the test, but the truth was that I failed it badly.
• Used in a sentence: We doubted that there was any truth to his claims of seeing Bigfoot.
• Used in a sentence: Parents often have to tell their kids sad truths when a pet dies. Commonly Confused See truism. Other Word Forms
• mistruth noun
• nontruth noun
• truthless adjective
• truthlessness noun Etymology Origin of truth First recorded before 900; Middle English treuthe, Old English trēowth (cognate with Old Norse tryggth “faith”); see true, -th 1 Explanation Truth is something that squares with reality. When you are sworn in to give testimony in a U.S. court of law, you promise to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." When you're cutting to the heart of something, you might start a statement with, "The truth of the matter is..." or "To tell the truth..." When you hear these introductory phrases containing truth, reality is supposed to follow. The American comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term truthiness as a satirical poke at politicians and pundits whose claims often have no basis in reality. Truthiness is what you wish were truth — unconstrained by fact or logic. Vocabulary lists containing truth "Hanging Fire" Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide! Chiasmus from Top AP English Exam Novels Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use! Example Sentences Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com. Lord Mandelson has apologised for maintaining a friendship with Epstein and said he only learned "the actual truth about him" after his death. From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026 Despite growing traction among analysts and heavy media coverage, investors are waking up to a hard truth: The quantum revolution won’t happen overnight. From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026 And here’s the quiet truth: If we live long enough, most of us will experience solo aging in some form. From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026 “The truth is, there is nothing to say.” From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026 I wanted to argue with her, push her to tell me the truth. From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023 Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.