true

Main Entry:: ¹true
Pronunciation:: \ˈtrü\
Function:: adjective
Inflected Form(s):: tru·er; tru·est
Etymology:: Middle English trewe, from Old English trēowe faithful; akin to Old High German gitriuwi faithful, Old Irish derb sure, and probably to Sanskrit dāruṇa hard, dāru wood — more at tree
Date:: before 12th century

1 a: steadfast , loyal b: honest , just carchaic : truthful2 a (1): being in accordance with the actual state of affairs <true description> (2): conformable to an essential reality (3): fully realized or fulfilled <dreams come true> b: ideal , essential c: being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed <the true dimension of the problem> d: consistent <true to character>3 a: properly so called <true love> <the true faith> <the true stomach of ruminant mammals> b (1): possessing the basic characters of and belonging to the same natural group as <a whale is a true but not a typical mammal> (2): typical <the true cats>4: legitimate , rightful <our true and lawful king>5 a: that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately b: conformable to a standard or pattern : accurate6: determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles <true north>7: logically necessary8: narrow , strict <in the truest sense>9: corrected for error

— true·ness noun

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