veritable
adjective
ver·i·ta·ble
ˈver-ə-tə-bəl 
: 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
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Veritable, like its close relative verity (“truth”), came to English through Anglo-French from Latin. Its ultimate source is the adjective vērus, meaning “true,” which also gave English 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 with a humorous tone (“a veritable swarm of lawyers”). In the past, language commentators objected to the latter use, but today it doesn’t draw much criticism.
Examples of veritable in a Sentence
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Like many of Hoover’s books, Verity was a veritable (pun intended) BookTok sensation.
—
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2026
Winter Park, Florida The area around Winter Park, Florida is a veritable lake oasis.
—Carolanne Griffith Roberts, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
While the life term was mandated under federal law, the judge described it as richly deserved for a man who has lived a veritable lifetime of crime.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
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Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2026
Winter Park, Florida The area around Winter Park, Florida is a veritable lake oasis.
—Carolanne Griffith Roberts, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
While the life term was mandated under federal law, the judge described it as richly deserved for a man who has lived a veritable lifetime of crime.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Barron vacillated between playing deep in situational dime packages, fitting run gaps as a veritable off-ball linebacker in big-nickel packages, covering tight ends man-to-man, and even started a game at safety.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for veritable
Cite this Entry
“Veritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veritable. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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