veritable

adjective

ver·​i·​ta·​ble ˈver-ə-tə-bəl How to pronounce veritable (audio)
: being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary
often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor
a veritable mountain of references
veritableness noun
veritably adverb

Did you know?

Veritable, like its close relative verity ("truth"), came to English through Anglo-French from Latin. It is ultimately derived from verus, the Latin word for "true," which also gave us verify, aver, and verdict. Veritable is often used as a synonym of genuine or authentic ("a veritable masterpiece"), but it is also frequently used to stress the aptness of a metaphor, often in a humorous tone ("a veritable swarm of lawyers"). In the past, usage commentators have objected to the latter use, but today it doesn't draw much criticism.

Examples of veritable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Soon after the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, a veritable flood of misinformation followed—often in the guise of unfounded conspiracy theories featuring prominently on social media. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 And the Spanish gin and tonic, an easily crushable, clean and bright cocktail, is art in a glass, served with lemon, peppercorns and a veritable garden of fresh herbs floating within. Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The film, a veritable love letter to the city, was inspired by Touzani’s beloved maternal grandmother, a Spaniard who arrived in Morocco during the Spanish protectorate and lived in Tangier all her life. Alissa Simon, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025 In addition, the southeast Asian country is a veritable melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and English is widely spoken (official signage also is written in English). Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for veritable

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "reliable, honest, true, factual," borrowed from Anglo-French (continental Old French, "real, true"), from verité "truth, verity" + -able -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of veritable was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Veritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veritable. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

veritable

adjective
ver·​i·​ta·​ble ˈver-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce veritable (audio)
: actual, true
often used to stress the appropriateness of a metaphor
a veritable mountain of papers
veritably adverb

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