Definition of VERITABLE

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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

Her 2005 split from now-ex-husband Brad Pitt inspired a veritable lifetime of demeaning and belittling headlines that constantly paint her as the heartbroken victim in a classic love triangle (with Pitt and Angelina Jolie). — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Why Be Engaged When You Can Be An Ex?," 13 July 2018 In the past few years, raccoons have instated a veritable reign of terror in Brooklyn, diving in and out of dumpsters, nesting inside chimneys and walloping neighborhood cats. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "How Humans Created the Ultimate Superpests," 9 July 2018 At a very recent meeting of the Massachusetts Medical Society, this gentleman read a paper giving a history of the case, and presented the veritable skull which sustained the injury. — Daniel C. Schlenoff, Scientific American, "“Foul Treachery” of Trotsky and Lenin in 1918; Phineas Gage’s Brain in 1868," 13 July 2018 Just look at current and past slates of gubernatorial candidates, a veritable field of wealthy men: Bill Weld, Mitt Romney, Christy Mihos, Deval Patrick, Charlie Baker, Evan Falchuk, Jeff McCormick, Bob Massie. — Shirley Leung, BostonGlobe.com, "State law allows political candidates to expense a tuxedo, but not child care. That needs to change.," 12 July 2018 As soon as the ball hit the net, footage of the crowd shows the ensuing celebration — including a veritable fog of beer spritzing everyone as fans splashed their beverages in the air in unfettered jubilation. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "English Soccer Fans Already Wasted a Lot of of Beer Before Winning the World Cup Semifinals," 11 July 2018 At the time, the Nigerian was a veritable boy wonder for his Norwegian side Lyn Oslo. — SI.com, "8 of Football's Greatest Transfer Heists," 4 June 2018 Soon after, Bella Hadid, veritable patron saint of micro sunnies, stepped out in the unreleased pair. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "No More Tiny Sunglasses: Why Sporty Shades Are Summer’s Coolest Look," 27 June 2018 But priming one can also create a veritable blowtorch if done improperly. — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, "8 Tips for (Responsibly) Camping in Fire Season," 22 June 2018

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