verity

American  

[ver-i-tee] / ˈvɛr ɪ ti /

noun

plural

verities

1. the state or quality of being true; accordance with fact or reality.

   to question the verity of a statement.

2. something that is true, as a principle, belief, idea, or statement.

   the eternal verities.

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verity British  

/ ˈvɛrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality or state of being true, real, or correct

2. a true principle, statement, idea, etc; a truth or fact

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Etymology

Origin of verity

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin vēritās, from vēr(us) “true” + -itās -ity

Explanation

If your friend tells you she saw a UFO yesterday afternoon, you might be inclined to question the verity, or truthfulness, of her statement. Everyone knows UFOs are only visible at night. Verity can also be used to mean “a true idea, belief, or statement.” Abstract concepts like love and goodness are often referred to as verities, conveying the idea that they are universal truths. Verity is related to the word verify, meaning “to determine whether something is true." If your friend tells you that UFO story again, you should verify its verity!

Example Sentences

This was one of those personal truths that after voicing it to someone else solidifies its verity — and all in the name of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025

The MyVote website does require a ballot requestor to verity that they are the person asking for it and carries a warning about potential penalties for committing fraud.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 4, 2022

Many of the most convincing lies come smothered in a sauce of verity.

From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2018

A society reluctant to accept this verity stagnates and, over the decades, consumes its substance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2016

We can establish ‘the verity of the fact’, he says, without having knowledge of the cause.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• verisimilitude