truth

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a fact that has been verified

   At last we had confirmation of the truth.

2. 2
   noun

   a true statement

   They told the truth.

3. 3
   noun

   conformity to reality or actuality

   they debated the truth of the proposition

4. 4
   noun

   True facts, genuine depiction or statements of reality.

   The truth is that our leaders knew a lot more than they were letting on.

5. 5
   noun

   Conformity to fact or reality; correctness, accuracy.

   There was some truth in his statement that he had no other choice.

6. 6
   noun

   The state or quality of being true to someone or something.

   Truth to one's own feelings is all-important in life.

7. 7
   noun

   Faithfulness, fidelity.

   Alas! they had been friends in youth; / But whispering tongues can poison truth; […]

8. 8
   noun

   Conformity to rule; exactness; close correspondence with an example, mood, model, etc.

   Ploughs, […] to make them go true, […] depends much upon the truth of the ironwork.

Etymology

From Middle English trouthe, truthe, trewthe, treowthe, from Old English trēowþ, trīewþ (“truth, veracity, faith, fidelity, loyalty, honour, pledge, covenant”), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiþō (“promise, covenant, contract”), from Proto-Indo-European *drū- (“tree”), from Proto-Indo-European *deru- (“firm, solid”), equivalent to true + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Doublet of troth. Cognate with Norwegian trygd (“trustworthiness, security, insurance”), Icelandic tryggð (“loyalty, fidelity”).