truth
noun
the true or actual state of a matter.
truth
1 American
[trooth]
/ truθ /
noun
-
truths
plural
-
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
Truth
2
American
[trooth]
/ truθ /
noun
truth
British
/ truːθ /
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
truth
More Idioms
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Cusk has previously explored this gap between truth and signifiers of truth in her “Outline” trilogy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
He said that if someone is not telling the truth, then no matter how many individuals are told something "it does not lend the lie any more credibility".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Today, I am returning to exercise my responsibilities as governor of Sinaloa with my head held high and with the truth on our side,” Rocha said in a statement posted on X.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The US-based World Central Kitchen condemned the decision calling it "inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive".
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
The truth is, I couldn’t care less about what my hair looks like; it does nothing to stop the feeling of all the sand embedded in my hair.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
“This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Harp is also one of the few officials with direct access to Trump's Truth Social account.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
In a post on his Truth Social platform Monday, Trump said his “number one Goal” remained ensuring that Iran “cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He also noted on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the "denuclearisation" of Iran.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Truth is, Babs was probably my best shot at getting a job.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Cowin may appear as the subject in her photographs, but she is primarily the narrator, an intriguingly unreliable narrator who recognizes the inevitability of multiple, simultaneous truths.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
We live in an age of misinformation, deepfakes and manufactured truths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
It is the battle of living in this country to try to hold these two truths in one’s mind simultaneously.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026
He is renowned for his precise and restrained use of language, delivering provocative truths about people’s ugliest impulses and asking the audience to laugh at them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
She hoped no one could have said to her, “How could you be so unfeeling to your father?—I must, I will tell you truths while I can.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
