Definition of VERACITY

Did You Know?

Veracity has been a part of English since at least 1623, and we can honestly tell you that it derives from the Latin adjective verax ("true" or "truthful"), which in turn comes from the earlier adjective verus ("true"). Verus also gives us verity ("the quality of being true"), verify ("to establish the truth of"), and verisimilitude ("the appearance of truth"), among other words. In addition, verax is the root of the word veraciousness, a somewhat rarer synonym and cousin of veracity.

Examples of veracity in a Sentence

What gives the book its integrity are the simplicity and veracity of these recipes and the small touches—bits of history, discovery and personal reflection. — Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 31 Mar. 1998 The trial began with a flurry of motions and questions challenging the judge's authority and veracity. The defendants earlier had called the judge's authority into question when jurors were selected two weeks ago. — Chris Bird, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Jan. 1996 … some documentary photographers supported the photographer's right to find essential rather than literal truths in any situation, while others … insisted on absolute veracity, maintaining that for images to be true to both medium and event, situations should be found, not reenacted. — Naomi Rosenblum, A World History of Photography, 1989 We questioned the veracity of his statements. The jury did not doubt the veracity of the witness.

Recent Examples on the Web

The supervisors rejected a measure recommended by the planning commission to have staff ask for documentation and research the veracity of the statements. — Joe Mozingo, latimes.com, "The world’s largest pot farms, and how Santa Barbara opened the door," 12 June 2019 Though he has been long derided by some in the media for his approach, which can blend gossip with more readily verifiable facts, Fire and Fury became a sensation in part because Wolff vouched for its veracity. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Is There a Right Way to Cover the Trump White House?," 6 June 2019 This will not come as a revelation to people who have closely followed President Donald Trump’s public statements and Twitter feed and have long doubted his veracity. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Analysis: Media starting to describe falsehoods as ‘lies’," 5 June 2019 The report's veracity was called into question Sunday after North Korean state media reported that Kim Yong Chol attended an art performance alongside Kim Jong Un. — Will Ripley, CNN, "'Executed' North Korean diplomat is alive, sources say," 4 June 2019 The leak caused some to be skeptical of its veracity. — oregonlive.com, "Rumors are flying about James Holzhauer and Monday’s ‘Jeopardy!’ episode: Does he finally lose?," 3 June 2019 According to the Daily Mail, Kensington Palace has declined to comment on the article's veracity. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Kensington Palace Declines to Comment on Rumors of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Babymoon," 5 Apr. 2019 Other commentators were questioning the veracity of Mr. Smollett’s account and pointing to the scant corroborating evidence. — Erin Ailworth, WSJ, "Police Say Smollett Faked Hate Crime Because He Was Dissatisfied With His Salary," 21 Feb. 2019 However, this has no bearing on the veracity of President Trump’s statement. — WSJ, "Trump Is Right About the Ninth Circuit Court," 4 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'veracity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.