true

true

adjective

Definition of TRUE

1

being exactly as appears or as claimed <his claim that he's the heir to the throne of Greece can't be true>

Synonyms bona fide, certifiable, certified, dinkum [Australian & New Zealand], echt, genuine, honest, pukka (also pucka), real, right, sure-enough, true

Related Words actual, historical, original; lawful, legal, legitimate; identifiable, recognizable, verifiable; proven, substantiated, validated, verified; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, undeniable, undoubted, unmistakable, unquestionable; veritable, very; accurate, correct, proper; pure, unadulterated, unalloyed

Near Antonyms artificial, factitious, imitation, man-made, simulated, synthetic, unnatural; concocted, fabricated, manufactured; deceptive, delusive, delusory, misleading

Antonyms bogus, counterfeit, fake, false, mock, phony (also phoney), pseudo, sham, spurious, suppositious, supposititious, unauthentic, unreal

2

being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard <if that is true, then we can't get in without a key>

Synonyms accurate, bang on [chiefly British], dead-on, exact, good, on-target, precise, proper, right, so, spot-on, true, veracious

Related Words legitimate, logical, sound, valid; errorless, faultless, flawless, impeccable, inerrant, infallible, letter-perfect, perfect; rigorous, strict, stringent

Near Antonyms defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect

Antonyms false, improper, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, off, untrue, wrong

3

existing in fact and not merely as a possibility <the true scope of this environmental problem is far greater than anyone imagined>

Synonyms concrete, de facto, effective, existent, factual, genuine, real, sure-enough, true, very

Related Words attested, authenticated, confirmed, demonstrated, established, proven, substantiated, valid, validated, verified; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, inescapable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable; believable, convincing, literal, realistic, unmistakable, verifiable; authentic, bona fide, real-life, real-world; absolute, certain, final, hard, objective, palpable, positive, substantial, tangible; authoritative, certifiable, certified

Near Antonyms alleged, assumed, reputed, supposed; conceived, envisaged, envisioned, imagined, pictured, visualized; chimerical (also chimeric), fabled, fanciful, fictional, fictitious, illusory, legendary; fabricated, fake, imaginary, invented, made-up, make-believe, pretend, romantic; abstract, symbolic, unreal; virtual

Antonyms conjectural, hypothetical, ideal, inexistent, nonexistent, platonic, possible, potential, suppositional, theoretical (also theoretic)

4

firm in one's allegiance to someone or something <he will be true to his word>

Synonyms constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, down-the-line, fast, good, loyal, pious, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true, true-blue

Related Words dependable, dutiful, reliable, responsible, solid, tried, tried-and-true, trustworthy, trusty; unfaltering, unhesitating, unwavering; determined, intent, resolute; confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, inveterate, sworn; ardent, avid, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid, gung ho, impassioned, passionate, serious

Near Antonyms irresponsible, undependable, unreliable, untrustworthy; faltering, hesitant, vacillating, wavering; dubious, irresolute, shaky, uncertain; apathetic, dispassionate, uninterested

Antonyms disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue

5

following an original exactly <it's not a true reproduction of the painting because the original is much larger>

Synonyms accurate, authentic, exact, precise, right, strict, true, veracious

Related Words lifelike, realistic; careful, conscientious, meticulous, punctilious, scrupulous; authoritative; bona fide, genuine, real, veridical

Near Antonyms careless, slack, slipshod, slovenly; erroneous, incorrect, invalid, off, unsound, untrue, untruthful, wrong

Antonyms corrupt, corrupted, false, imprecise, inaccurate, inauthentic, inexact, loose, unfaithful

6

free from any intent to deceive or impress others <may our love for one another always be true>

Synonyms artless, genuine, honest, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve), natural, real, simple, sincere, true, unaffected, unpretending, unpretentious

Related Words childlike, dewy-eyed, gee-whiz, impressionable, inexperienced, malleable, persuadable, persuasible, simpleminded, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed; spontaneous, unforced, unstudied; candid, direct, frank, free, free-spoken, open, openhearted, plain, plainspoken, single-minded, straight, straightforward, unguarded; trustful, trusting; exploitable, gullible (also gullable), susceptible, unwary

Near Antonyms critical, cynical, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, wary; cosmopolitan, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise; civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined; crooked, deceitful, deceptive, devious, double-dealing, hypocritical, manipulative, two-faced; arch, calculating, canny, crafty, cunning, designing, foxy, knavish, scheming, sharp, shifty, shrewd, slick, slippery, sly, subtle, tricky, underhanded, wily; flattering, mealymouthed, smooth, sycophantic, unctuous; feigned, forced, strained

Antonyms affected, artful, artificial, assuming, dishonest, dissembling, dissimulating, fake, false, guileful, insincere, phony (also phoney), pretentious

7

restricted to or based on fact <that news story is completely true, for the station released a list of its sources to back it up>

Synonyms documentary, hard, historical, literal, matter-of-fact, nonfictional, objective, true

Related Words actual, authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, right; documented, established; confirmable, reliable, supportable, sustainable, verifiable; demonstrable, provable; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable; plain, simple; certain, undoubted

Near Antonyms hypothetical, speculative, theoretical (also theoretic); apocryphal, unauthentic, undocumented; chimerical (also chimeric), fabulous, fanciful, fantastic (also fantastical), imaginary, imagined, invented, legendary, made-up, make-believe, mythical (or mythic), pretend; embroidered, exaggerated; insupportable, unsupportable

Antonyms fictional, fictionalized, fictitious, nondocumentary, nonfactual, nonhistorical, unhistorical

8

worthy of one's trust <a true friend when you need one>

Synonyms calculable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, steady, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustable, trustworthy, trusty

Related Words constant, devoted, faithful, fast, loyal, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, true-blue; honest, sincere, single-minded; infallible, unerring; bedrock, firm, sound, strong; effective, telling; attested, authenticated, confirmed, proven, valid, validated, verified; blameless, faultless, guiltless, impeccable, inerrant, irreproachable, unimpeachable, unquestionable

Near Antonyms disloyal, faithless, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, treacherous, unfaithful, untrue; deceitful, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful; debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, dubious, fishy, problematic (also problematical), questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, uncertain, unsound; hazardous, risky; unconfirmed, untried

Antonyms dodgy [chiefly British], uncertain, undependable, unreliable, unsafe, untrustworthy

9

having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind <paleontologists are still debating whether the fossil is that of a true dinosaur or a precursor>

Synonyms archetypal (also archetypical), average, characteristic, normal, regular, representative, standard, true

Related Words common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday; classic, textbook, vintage; expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable; predominant, preponderant

Near Antonyms uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted; distinctive, especial, exceptional, extraordinary, infrequent, noteworthy, rare, remarkable, singular, special, unexpected, unfamiliar, unique, unpredictable; eccentric, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, peculiar, unknown, unorthodox; curious, erratic, funky, funny, odd, oddball, offbeat, outlandish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out; bizarre, fantastic (also fantastical), far-out, freak, freakish, kooky (also kookie), out-of-the-way, outrageous, outré, rare, singular, unnatural, weird, wild

Antonyms aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical

10

conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue <a person of great integrity, he was the truest person I've ever met>

Synonyms all right, decent, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, nice, right, righteous, right-minded, straight, true, upright, virtuous

Related Words correct, decorous, proper, seemly; high-minded, noble, principled; commendable, creditable, exemplary, legitimate; esteemed, law-abiding, menschy, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthy; blameless, clean, guiltless, immaculate, incorrupt (also incorrupted), incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, unobjectionable; angelic (or angelical), lily-white, pure, scrupulous, spotless, uncorrupted, unerring; goody-goody, moralistic, pharisaical, rectitudinous, sanctimonious, self-righteous

Near Antonyms improper, incorrect, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly; corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, perverted, reprobate; unprincipled, unscrupulous; atrocious, infamous, villainous; base, low, mean, vicious, vile; blameworthy, objectionable, offensive; iniquitous, nefarious; errant, erring, fallen

Antonyms bad, black, dishonest, dishonorable, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, unethical, unrighteous, wicked, wrong