veracity
vuh-RAS-uh-tee
/vəˈræs.ə.ti/
Conformity to facts; accuracy, truthfulness, or habitual adherence to truth.
Refers to the fundamental, objective quality of being true and accurate.
The story behind the word. Rooted directly in Latin 'verus' (meaning true). This Latin root serves as the anchor for many truth-related English vocabulary words, including 'verify', 'verdict' (a true saying), and 'verisimilitude' (appearing true).
Word relationships
- truthfulness: Slightly less formal term for personal honesty or factual accuracy.
- authenticity: Refers to whether an item or origin is genuine rather than whether a statement is factual.
- falsity: The state of being untrue or incorrect.
- mendacity: Untruthfulness, deceit, or habitual lying.
Commonly confused with
- voracity: Veracity means truthfulness (verus); voracity means insatiable appetite or eagerness (vorare).
Word family
- veracious (adjective): Speaking or representing the truth; truthful.
Collocations
- question the veracity
- verify the veracity
- doubt the veracity
- historical veracity
Idioms & expressions
- gospel truth
- ring of truth
Example sentences
- "The defense attorney challenged the veracity of the key witness's testimony during cross-examination." Legal Proceedings
- "Before publishing the historic journal article, the editors carefully verified the veracity of the archival documents." Academic Research
Memory hook
VER-acity comes from Latin VERUS, which means VERY true. Accuracy and strict conformity to the truth.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'voracity' (which means extreme hunger or greediness).
Fun facts
- In big data analytics, 'Veracity' is recognized as one of the official '5 Vs of Big Data', alongside Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Value.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.