veridical

adjective
ve·​rid·​i·​cal | \ və-ˈri-di-kəl How to pronounce veridical (audio) \

Definition of veridical

1 : truthful, veracious tried … to supply … a veridical background to the events and people portrayed— Laura Krey
2 : not illusory : genuine it is assumed that … perception is veridical— George Lakoff

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Other Words from veridical

veridicality \ və-​ˌri-​də-​ˈka-​lə-​tē How to pronounce veridical (audio) \ noun
veridically \ və-​ˈri-​di-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce veridical (audio) \ adverb

Did you know?

We'll tell only the truth here: veridical comes from the Latin word vēridicus, which itself is from two other Latin words: vērus, meaning "true," and dīcere, meaning "to say." vērus is an ancestor of several English words, among them verity, verify, and very (which originally meant "true"). The word verdict is related to veridical on both sides of the family: it also traces back to vērus and dīcere. Veridical itself is the least common of the vērus words. You're most likely to encounter it in contexts dealing with psychology and philosophy.

Examples of veridical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web People tend to think of hallucination as a kind of false perception, in clear contrast to veridical, true-to-reality, normal perception. Anil K. Seth, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2019

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

First Known Use of veridical

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for veridical

Latin vēridicus "conveying the truth" (from vērus "true" + -dicus "saying, one who says," nominal derivative of dīcere "to speak, say") + -al entry 1 — more at very entry 2, diction

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The first known use of veridical was in 1653

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Dictionary Entries Near veridical

veridian

veridical

veridical hallucination

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Cite this Entry

“Veridical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veridical. Accessed 28 Aug. 2021.

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