true
being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact; not false: a true story.
real; genuine; authentic: true gold; true feelings.
sincere; not deceitful: a true interest in someone's welfare.
firm in allegiance; loyal; faithful; steadfast: a true friend.
being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something: the true meaning of his statement.
conforming to or consistent with a standard, pattern, or the like: a true copy.
exact; precise; accurate; correct: a true balance.
of the right kind; such as it should be; proper: to arrange things in their true order.
properly so called; rightly answering to a description: true statesmanship.
legitimate or rightful: the true heir.
reliable, unfailing, or sure: a true sign.
exactly or accurately shaped, formed, fitted, or placed, as a surface, instrument, or part of a mechanism.
honest; honorable; upright.
Biology. conforming to the type, norm, or standard of structure of a particular group; typical: The lion is a true cat.
Animal Husbandry. purebred.
Navigation. (of a bearing, course, etc.) determined in relation to true north.
Archaic. truthful.
exact or accurate formation, position, or adjustment: to be out of true.
the true, something that is true; truth.
in a true manner; truly; truthfully.
exactly or accurately.
in conformity with the ancestral type: to breed true.
to make true; shape, adjust, place, etc., exactly or accurately: to true the wheels of a bicycle after striking a pothole.
(especially in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often followed by up): to true up the sides of a door.
Idioms about true
come true, to have the expected or hoped-for result; become a reality: She couldn't believe that her dream would ever come true.
Origin of true
1synonym study For true
Other words for true
Other words from true
- trueness, noun
- half-true, adjective
Words Nearby true
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use true in a sentence
If they accept you — if Music accept you — then you learn true power.
The tale of a bass player, sonic epiphanies and a quest to save ‘real music’ | Ben Ratliff | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostIt is like my dream is coming true, and it’s been special for me.
Matthew Hoppe was a little-known American soccer player — until he reached the Bundesliga | Steven Goff | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostIt was not a true accurate description of what it does – so now Google is calling it passage ranking.
Google passage ranking now live in US English search results | Barry Schwartz | February 11, 2021 | Search Engine LandThis 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.
Politics and conspiracy theories are fracturing relationships. Here’s how to grieve those broken bonds. | Jeff Schrum | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostIt is also unclear whether the same is true for variants of the virus that appear to be more contagious.
Chicago reaches deal with teachers to reopen school buildings | Moriah Balingit | February 10, 2021 | Washington Post
What happened to true love knows no boundaries and all that?
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic | Samantha Allen | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAt 1:42 a.m., a commenter bluntly asked: “Jeff, Is it true you are a convicted sex offender?”
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking | M.L. Nestel | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTtrue, this may not be what James Madison had in mind when he was writing the Bill of Rights.
Like his old man, he keeps it reined in, but when talking about fishing, a true regret seeps out.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNone of that is true for those brands who have booked black faces.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem | Danielle Belton | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTShe is quite true, but not wise, and your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuEach religion claims that its own Bible is the direct revelation of God, and is the only true Bible teaching the only true faith.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordEach picture bore a label, giving a true description of the once-honoured gem.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsIt seems to be a true instinct which comes before education and makes education possible.
Children's Ways | James SullyBut 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.
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan Swift
British Dictionary definitions for true
/ (truː) /
not false, fictional, or illusory; factual or factually accurate; conforming with reality
(prenominal) being of real or natural origin; genuine; not synthetic: true leather
unswervingly faithful and loyal to friends, a cause, etc: a true follower
(as collective noun; preceded by the): the loyal and the true
faithful to a particular concept of truth, esp of religious truth: a true believer
conforming to a required standard, law, or pattern: a true aim; a true fit
exactly in tune: a true note
(of a compass bearing) according to the earth's geographical rather than magnetic poles: true north
biology conforming to the typical structure of a designated type: sphagnum moss is a true moss, Spanish moss is not
physics not apparent or relative; taking into account all complicating factors: the true expansion of a liquid takes into account the expansion of the container Compare apparent (def. 3)
not true informal unbelievable; remarkable: she's got so much money it's not true
true to life exactly comparable with reality
correct alignment (esp in the phrases in true, out of true)
truthfully; rightly
precisely or unswervingly: he shot true
biology without variation from the ancestral type: to breed true
(tr) to adjust so as to make true
Origin of true
1Derived forms of true
- trueness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with true
In addition to the idioms beginning with true
- true blue
- true colors
- true to
also see:
- 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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