true to

1. Loyal or faithful to, as in She knew he'd be true to his marriage vows , or, as Shakespeare had Polonius tell Hamlet, “This above all, to thine own self be true” ( Hamlet , 1:3). [c. 1200]

2. Conforming to or consistent with, as in The speech was true to the party platform , or True to type, he died while working at his desk .

3. true to life . Consistent with reality, realistically represented, as in This painting is very true to life . [Early 1800s] For true to form , see under run to form .

Example Sentences

Faulting language used by some liberals as “holier than thou,” Obama argued that Democrats could remain true to their principles while respecting those with whom they disagreed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We have tried to be true to the best, most idealistic of American values.

Read more on Salon

Hatton was a hero far beyond where he grew up, even if the fact he stayed so true to his roots is why so many loved him.

Read more on BBC

Each loved nature and beauty and harmony, suffered grievously under American settlement and finally succeeded by being true to its heritage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While the 11 rival candidates crisscrossed the central African country pressing the flesh ahead of the October 12 vote, Biya's campaign has been largely virtual, true to his reputation as a secretive "sphinx".

Read more on Barron's