veritable
adjective
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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
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 Dec. 2025
The celebratory bash on New Year’s Eve 1925 was an all-out splash, veritable who’s who of the era on the guest list; invitation Laughner sent invitations to his elite friends, including the Rockefellers, Carnegies, Mellons, Fleischmanns, and Pillsburys.
—Susan B. Barnes, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
As far back as the Victorian era, exchanging a few banalities was part of a veritable social code—a way of signaling both politeness and boundaries.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2025
But with the Belasco audience having phones and smartwatches locked in pouches, and with no photos or other documentation ever released, there was little tangible proof that this veritable Bigfoot sighting of a concert ever happened.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for veritable
Cite this Entry
“Veritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veritable. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.
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