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"
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Chiasmus from Top AP English Exam Novels
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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:
Then that truth gets “wrenched through this…assembly line,” until what comes out on the other side barely resembles where it started.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Regardless of the record-breaking deadline of Sept. 6, he’s adapting to a new “finish plan” and shared this truth for us all: “Together we will conquer this seemingly impossible task.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The very best novels will never try to explicitly sell you lies as the truth, or narrative as dogma.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Yes, it’s trite, but most clichés have an element of truth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
I flinched at the slumming comment, but the truth was our businesses benefited from the tourism.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
If he could, he would, and Truth Social would be involved somehow.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Last week, he again pressured Pirro on Truth Social to “re-visit her hastily made decision.”
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
Subscribers to the paid service are supposed to get almost instantaneous access to Trump's messages on the Truth Social platform -- crucial seconds ahead of the general public.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Truth be told, he had rather enjoyed his brief moment of speaking on the professional stage.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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
“They spread lies about me, I spread truths about them,” said the 65-year-old Sielsch, who has built a social-media following with posts about tracking bears and booting them from homes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
At the heart of the Declaration are words that have challenged Americans for 250 years: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
To heal it, I’d need to accept truths that I didn’t want to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Commonplaces are culturally specific, but they will tend to be so deep-rooted in their appeal that they pass for universal truths.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
