1
a(1)
: the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality
actions guided by truth
also
: the real facts about something
need to face the truth
You think I don't care, but nothing could be further from the truth. [=that is absolutely not true]
I said I liked it, but truth be told/known [=really, honestly], it was awful.
(2)
: the state of being the case : fact
the truth of the matter
(3)
often Truth
: a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality
A movie can depart from the strict truth and capture a broader, deeper truth …—
Adrian J. Rivera
Adrian J. Rivera
b(1)
: a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true
truths of thermodynamics
a basic/fundamental/eternal/universal truth of human nature
(2)
: truism
c
: the body of true statements and propositions
commitment to scientific truth
2
a
: the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality
There's no truth in anything he says.
Her story contains a grain/kernel of truth.
I doubt the truth of their accusations.
b
chiefly British
: true sense 2
Her propeller shaft was a trifle out of truth …—C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester
c
: fidelity to an original or to a standard
The actor struggled to find the truth of the character.
3
a
: sincerity in action, character, and utterance
… the absolute truth of his speech and the rectitude of his behavior.—Ralph Waldo Emerson
see also live one's truth
Ralph Waldo Emerson4
Examples of truth in a Sentence
At some point you have to face the simple truth that we failed.
Their explanation was simpler but came closer to the truth.
The article explains the truth about global warming.
A reporter soon discovered the truth.
Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Her story contains a grain of truth but also lots of exaggeration.
Recent Examples on the Web
In truth, the patriots’ path to victory was a near decade-long slog characterized by a string of strange bedfellows, strained alliances, and dramatic reversals.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Excavation is necessary to establish the results as ground truths and show whether the patterns observed are actually associated with human remains, Meyer-Kaiser said.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for truth
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Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
Excavation is necessary to establish the results as ground truths and show whether the patterns observed are actually associated with human remains, Meyer-Kaiser said.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for truth
Cite this Entry
“Truth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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