verisimilitude

noun veri·si·mil·i·tude \ ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmi-lə-ˌtüd , -ˌtyüd \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of verisimilitude

1 : the quality or state of being verisimilar

2 : something verisimilar

—

verisimilitudinous

play \ˌver-ə-sə-ˌmi-lə-ˈtüd-nəs, -ˈtyüd-; -ˈtü-də-nəs, -ˈtyü-\ adjective

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Examples of verisimilitude in a Sentence

the novel's degree of verisimilitude is compromised by 18th-century characters who speak in very 21st-century English

Recent Examples of verisimilitude from the Web

The only way to get around the Uncanny Valley while still pursuing realism is to reach a level of verisimilitude such that the viewer is genuinely fooled.

— ciara wardlow, The Hollywood Reporter, "Where 'Avengers' Should Have Embraced the Uncanny," 28 Apr. 2018
Still, Burton wanted some element of verisimilitude.

— esther zuckerman, The Cut, "Finally, a Movie That Gets Prom Dresses Right," 13 Apr. 2018
Anderson, a stickler for verisimilitude even in the weirdest situations, has the human residents of Megasaki City speak their native Japanese, a choice that would seem respectful enough except for the conspicuous absence of English subtitles.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs' is often captivating, but cultural sensitivity gets lost in translation," 21 Mar. 2018
With The Death of Stalin—based on the 2010 French graphic novel by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin—Iannucci has largely abandoned verisimilitude in favor of straight farce, poking fun at the idea of the thing, rather than the thing itself.

— christopher orr, The Atlantic, "The Death of Stalin Is a Wicked Farce," 16 Mar. 2018
There was rarely the time or the budgetary freedom to send these journeypeople off to dialect coaches, even if the priority was verisimilitude rather than getting 22 episodes in the can as fast as humanly possible.

— dan sheehan, GQ, "Let’s Celebrate the Worst Irish Accents of All Time," 15 Mar. 2018
The songs actually work against the production’s verisimilitude, calling to mind slick MTV videos rather than heartfelt emotion.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Actors, not soundtrack, put the emotion in 'Proof'," 10 Mar. 2018
It’s easier to appraise a realistic movie, since everyone is qualified to judge verisimilitude—to compare the film’s world with one’s own.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Why Film Critics Were Blind to The Big Lebowski’s Brilliance," 9 Mar. 2018
His argument relies, as a lot of anti-diversity arguments do, on verisimilitude.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Actually, HBO's Silicon Valley Doesn't Have To Be So White," 7 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

From its roots, verisimilitude means basically "similarity to the truth". Most fiction writers and filmmakers aim at some kind of verisimilitude to give their stories an air of reality. They need not show something actually true, or even very common, but simply something believable. A mass of good details in a play, novel, painting, or film may add verisimilitude. A spy novel without some verisimilitude won't interest many readers, but a fantastical novel may not even attempt to seem true to life.

Origin and Etymology of verisimilitude

borrowed from Latin vērīsimilitūdō, from vērī similis, vērīsimilis "having the appearance of truth" + -tūdō, suffix of abstract nouns — more at verisimilar

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1576

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year