verisimilitude

[ ver-uh-si-mil-i-tood, -tyood ]
See synonyms for verisimilitude on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the appearance or semblance of truth; genuineness; authenticity: The play lacked verisimilitude.

  2. something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

Origin of verisimilitude

1
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. 2024

How to use verisimilitude in a sentence

  • Neither the model, the wood, nor the varnish possesses much verisimilitude at different periods of his career.

  • 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.

  • 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
  1. the appearance or semblance of truth or reality; quality of seeming true

  2. something that merely seems to be true or real, such as a doubtful statement

Origin of verisimilitude

1
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