verisimilitude

[ ver-uh-si-mil-i-tood, -tyood ]

See synonyms for verisimilitude on Thesaurus.com

noun

the appearance or semblance of truth; genuineness; authenticity: The play lacked verisimilitude.
something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

Origin of verisimilitude

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin vērīsimilitūdō, equivalent to vērī (genitive singular of vērum “truth”) + similitūdō similitude

Words Nearby verisimilitude

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use verisimilitude in a sentence

And the conceit of total artifice deprives us of what Tolstoy is best at: marrying artifice with verisimilitude.
‘The Trial’ & More Top Film Adaptations of Literary Classics (VIDEO) | Jimmy So | November 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Orwell needed a certain level of artifice to maintain verisimilitude.
Orwell’s Lies: His Diaries Reveal Problems with the Truth | Jimmy So | August 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Yet Pakula also sought to inject well-researched verisimilitude in his film.
What Director Alan Pakula’s Papers Reveal About Watergate | Max Holland | June 12, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
It appears she writes about these things because excluding them would strain verisimilitude far more than including them.
Must-Reads: ‘The Last Nude,’ ‘Arrows of the Night,’ and ‘The Fallback Plan’ | Bruce Riedel, Lauren Elkin, Drew Nellins | January 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
But including real-world details and events can also add verisimilitude and depth to a story, something Silva does quite well.
Thriller Night | David J. Montgomery | August 28, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

Neither the model, the wood, nor the varnish possesses much verisimilitude at different periods of his career.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
The unconventionality and vitality of such a production are startling, and obtain a high degree of verisimilitude.
The Fatal Dowry | Philip Massinger
Have suppressed names of men and places, thus sacrificing verisimilitude on altar of discretion.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, August 3, 1895 | Various
But this absolute failure in verisimilitude is practically universal before Scott.
The English Novel | George Saintsbury
This verisimilitude, it should be observed, is not only difficult to attain: it seems not to be easy even to recognise.
The English Novel | George Saintsbury

British Dictionary definitions for verisimilitude

verisimilitude

/ (ˌvɛrɪsɪˈmɪlɪˌtjuːd) /

noun

the appearance or semblance of truth or reality; quality of seeming true
something that merely seems to be true or real, such as a doubtful statement

Origin of verisimilitude

C17: from Latin vērisimilitūdō, from vērus true + similitūdō similitude

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

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