adjective
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telling or expressing the truth; honest or candid
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realistic
a truthful portrayal of the king
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of truthful
Explanation
Truthful means honest or believable. A truthful answer to a question doesn't mince words—it is completely straightforward and accurate. If your little sister asks you whether the Tooth Fairy is real, you'll have to consider how truthful you want to be. You can think about whether the truthful answer will be to upsetting for her, since you're not under oath in a courtroom, where you're legally obligated to be truthful. A now-obsolete adjective with the same meaning was truthy, "characterized by truth."
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.
So, when a patient asks, “If this could find my cancer early, why wouldn’t I do it?” the truthful answer is that, yes, it might find cancer early—and maybe you should do it.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
In a statement, Hochman said he remained opposed to the Erik and Lyle’s release, arguing the brothers have not been truthful in their explanations of the shootings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
It is better to be transparent and truthful in situations like this because ultimately these kinds of issues come to the surface sooner or later.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
She based her decision on "a parallel analysis of several channels that have been posting truthful information for a long time."
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
I thought about this a lot, to be truthful.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
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.
