verisimilitude
noun
veri·si·mil·i·tude
ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmi-lə-ˌtüd 
-ˌtyüd
1
: the quality or state of being verisimilar
2
: something verisimilar
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.
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 on the Web
But as this season has gotten more hilariously digressive in its social experiments, so has Fielder in pressing for ever-more-absurd attempts at verisimilitude.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 May 2025
The veteran, who served over 16 years as a Member of SEAL Team 5, won a Silver Star Medal for the very combat shown in daunting forensic verisimilitude in this film — and he’s worked through degrees of trauma most civilians can only imagine.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
His career celebration comes full circle with a return to Pace, which unravels the verisimilitude of his persona and outlook on life, embracing the deep emotions behind his multi-faceted art.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The film was partly inspired by Holofcener’s own life as the divorced mother of two teenagers, which lends it a particularly gut-wrenching kind of verisimilitude.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verisimilitude
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Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 May 2025
The veteran, who served over 16 years as a Member of SEAL Team 5, won a Silver Star Medal for the very combat shown in daunting forensic verisimilitude in this film — and he’s worked through degrees of trauma most civilians can only imagine.
—Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
His career celebration comes full circle with a return to Pace, which unravels the verisimilitude of his persona and outlook on life, embracing the deep emotions behind his multi-faceted art.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
The film was partly inspired by Holofcener’s own life as the divorced mother of two teenagers, which lends it a particularly gut-wrenching kind of verisimilitude.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verisimilitude
Cite this Entry
“Verisimilitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verisimilitude. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
verisimilitude
noun
veri·si·mil·i·tude
ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmil-ə-ˌt(y)üd
: the appearance of being true or real
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