true

[ troo ]

adjective

, tru·er, tru·est.

1. being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact; not false:

   a true story.

   Synonyms: veracious, factual

2. real; genuine; authentic:

   true gold; true feelings.

3. sincere; not deceitful:

   a true interest in someone's welfare.

   Synonyms: honest

4. firm in allegiance; loyal; faithful; steadfast:

   a true friend.

   Synonyms: steady, constant, staunch, trustworthy

5. being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something:

   the true meaning of his statement.

6. conforming to or consistent with a standard, pattern, or the like:

   a true copy.

7. exact; precise; accurate; correct:

   a true balance.

   Synonyms: faithful

8. of the right kind; such as it should be; proper:

   to arrange things in their true order.

9. properly so called; rightly answering to a description:

   true statesmanship.

10. legitimate or rightful:

    the true heir.

11. reliable, unfailing, or sure:

    a true sign.

12. exactly or accurately shaped, formed, fitted, or placed, as a surface, instrument, or part of a mechanism.
13. honest; honorable; upright.
14. Biology. conforming to the type, norm, or standard of structure of a particular group; typical:

    The lion is a true cat.

15. Animal Husbandry. purebred.
16. Navigation. (of a bearing, course, etc.) determined in relation to true north.
17. Archaic. truthful.

noun

1. exact or accurate formation, position, or adjustment:

   to be out of true.

2. the true, something that is true; truth.

adverb

1. in a true manner; truly; truthfully.
2. exactly or accurately.
3. in conformity with the ancestral type:

   to breed true.

verb (used with object)

, trued, tru·ing or true·ing.

1. to make true; shape, adjust, place, etc., exactly or accurately:

   to true the wheels of a bicycle after striking a pothole.

2. (especially in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often followed by up ):

   to true up the sides of a door.

true

/ truː /

adjective

1. not false, fictional, or illusory; factual or factually accurate; conforming with reality
2. prenominal being of real or natural origin; genuine; not synthetic

   true leather

3. 1. unswervingly faithful and loyal to friends, a cause, etc

      a true follower

   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the loyal and the true

4. faithful to a particular concept of truth, esp of religious truth

   a true believer

5. conforming to a required standard, law, or pattern

   a true fit

   a true aim

6. exactly in tune

   a true note

7. (of a compass bearing) according to the earth's geographical rather than magnetic poles

   true north

8. biology conforming to the typical structure of a designated type

   sphagnum moss is a true moss, Spanish moss is not

9. See apparent
   physics not apparent or relative; taking into account all complicating factors Compare apparent

   the true expansion of a liquid takes into account the expansion of the container

10. not true informal.
    not true unbelievable; remarkable

    she's got so much money it's not true

11. true to life
    true to life exactly comparable with reality

noun

1. correct alignment (esp in the phrases in true, out of true )

adverb

1. truthfully; rightly
2. precisely or unswervingly

   he shot true

3. biology without variation from the ancestral type

   to breed true

verb

1. tr to adjust so as to make true

Derived Forms

• ˈtrueness, noun

Other Words From

• trueness noun
• half-true adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of true¹

before 900; Middle English trewe (adj. and adv.), Old English trēowe (adj.) loyal, trusty, honest ( trow, truce ); akin to Dutch trouw, German treu, Old Norse tryggr, Gothic triggws

Word History and Origins

Origin of true¹

Old English triewe ; related to Old Frisian triūwe , Old Saxon, Old High German triuwi loyal, Old Norse tryggr ; see trow , trust

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come true, to have the expected or hoped-for result; become a reality:

   She couldn't believe that her dream would ever come true.

More idioms and phrases containing true

• come true
• course of true love
• dream come true
• find true north
• hold good (true)
• ring false (true)
• run (true) to form
• too good to be true
• tried and true

Synonym Study

See real ¹.

Example Sentences

If they accept you — if Music accept you — then you learn true power.

From Washington Post

It is like my dream is coming true, and it’s been special for me.

From Washington Post

It was not a true accurate description of what it does – so now Google is calling it passage ranking.

From Search Engine Land

This is especially true for people you once were close to or looked up to, who may now be engaging in behaviors that conflict with your values.

From Washington Post

It is also unclear whether the same is true for variants of the virus that appear to be more contagious.

From Washington Post

What happened to true love knows no boundaries and all that?

From The Daily Beast

At 1:42 a.m., a commenter bluntly asked: “Jeff, Is it true you are a convicted sex offender?”

From The Daily Beast

True, this may not be what James Madison had in mind when he was writing the Bill of Rights.

From The Daily Beast

Like his old man, he keeps it reined in, but when talking about fishing, a true regret seeps out.

From The Daily Beast

None of that is true for those brands who have booked black faces.

From The Daily Beast

She is quite true, but not wise, and your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing.

From Project Gutenberg

Each religion claims that its own Bible is the direct revelation of God, and is the only true Bible teaching the only true faith.

From Project Gutenberg

Each picture bore a label, giving a true description of the once-honoured gem.

From Project Gutenberg

It seems to be a true instinct which comes before education and makes education possible.

From Project Gutenberg

But if what I told him were true, he was still at a loss how a kingdom could run out of its estate like a private person.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accurate
• appropriate
• authentic
• bona fide
• correct
• genuine
• honest
• legitimate
• natural
• normal
• perfect
• proper
• pure
• sincere
• truthful
• typical