truth

¹ American  

[trooth] / truθ /

noun

plural

truths

1. the true or actual state of a matter.

   He tried to find out the truth.

   Synonyms:

   fact

   Antonyms:

   falsehood

2. conformity with fact or reality; verity.

   the truth of a statement.

   Synonyms:

   veracity

   Antonyms:

   falsity

3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like.

   mathematical truths.

4. the state or character of being true.

   Antonyms:

   falsity

5. actuality or actual existence.

6. an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.

7. (often initial capital letter) ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience.

   the basic truths of life.

8. agreement with a standard or original.

9. accuracy, as of position or adjustment.

   Synonyms:

   exactness, precision

10. honesty; sincerity; truthfulness.

    Synonyms:

    frankness, candor, openness

    Antonyms:

    falsity

11. Archaic. fidelity or constancy.

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idioms

1. in truth, in reality; in fact; actually.

   In truth, moral decay hastened the decline of the Roman Empire.

Truth ² American  

[trooth] / truθ /

noun

1. Sojourner Isabella Van Wagener, 1797?–1883, U.S. abolitionist, orator, and women's-rights advocate, born into slavery.

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truth British  

/ truːθ /

noun

1. the quality of being true, genuine, actual, or factual

   the truth of his statement was attested

2. something that is true as opposed to false

   you did not tell me the truth

3. a proven or verified principle or statement; fact

   the truths of astronomy

4. (usually plural) a system of concepts purporting to represent some aspect of the world

   the truths of ancient religions

5. fidelity to a required standard or law

6. faithful reproduction or portrayal

   the truth of a portrait

7. an obvious fact; truism; platitude

8. honesty, reliability, or veracity

   the truth of her nature

9. accuracy, as in the setting, adjustment, or position of something, such as a mechanical instrument

10. the state or quality of being faithful; allegiance

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truth More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing truth

• gospel truth
• home truth
• moment of truth
• naked truth
• unvarnished truth

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Usage

What is a basic definition of truth? Truth means the actual state of a matter, an adherence to reality, or an indisputable fact. Truth has several other senses as a noun. The truth refers to the version of reality that we exist in. Putting it more simply, if you are “telling the truth,” you are describing the world as it actually is and not making things up or telling lies.

• Real-life examples: Police detectives try to discover the truth when investigating crimes so that they don’t arrest the wrong person. Criminals often hide or distort the truth so that they won’t get caught.
• Used in a sentence: I told my mom I passed the test, but the truth was that I failed it badly. 

In a related sense, truth can also mean an agreement with reality or facts.

• Used in a sentence: We doubted that there was any truth to his claims of seeing Bigfoot.

Truth can also mean a fact or a statement that nobody disagrees with.

• Used in a sentence: Parents often have to tell their kids sad truths when a pet dies.

Commonly Confused

See truism.

Other Word Forms

• mistruth noun
• nontruth noun
• truthless adjective
• truthlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of truth

First recorded before 900; Middle English treuthe, Old English trēowth (cognate with Old Norse tryggth “faith”); true, -th ¹

Explanation

Truth is something that squares with reality. When you are sworn in to give testimony in a U.S. court of law, you promise to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." When you're cutting to the heart of something, you might start a statement with, "The truth of the matter is..." or "To tell the truth..." When you hear these introductory phrases containing truth, reality is supposed to follow. The American comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term truthiness as a satirical poke at politicians and pundits whose claims often have no basis in reality. Truthiness is what you wish were truth — unconstrained by fact or logic.

Example Sentences

As Mark Twain supposedly said, a lie can get halfway round the world before the truth can even get its shoes on.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Wednesday marks 37 years since the disaster which led to a campaign for legislation requiring public officials to tell the truth during disaster inquiries and investigations.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The goal is to “flood the zone,” as Spanberger herself put it, and create so much noise that the truth struggles to break through.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

There is some truth to that intuition, but it is far from straightforward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

My blood scrambles, roars through my ears, the truth buzzes around my head, like a saw with no shutoff.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• accuracy
• authenticity
• certainty
• fact
• legitimacy
• principle
• truthfulness
• veracity