veridical

adjective

ve·​rid·​i·​cal və-ˈri-di-kəl How to pronounce veridical (audio)
1
: truthful, veracious
tried … to supply … a veridical background to the events and people portrayedLaura Krey
2
: not illusory : genuine
it is assumed that … perception is veridicalGeorge Lakoff
veridicality noun
veridically adverb

Did you know?

We'll tell only the truth here: veridical comes from the Latin word veridicus, which itself is from two other Latin words: verus, meaning "true," and dicere, meaning "to say." Verus 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 verus and dicere. Veridical itself is the least common of the verus 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 Unless, that is, there is a veridical image imprinted in the victims’ mind/brain, one which can be extracted using a method that depends simultaneously on the necessity of speech and the impossibility of its communicating the truth. Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 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 examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'veridical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of veridical was in 1653

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Dictionary Entries Near veridical

Cite this Entry

“Veridical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veridical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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