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Truth

n. thoughtful, capable professional

What it means

Meaning 1

What accords with reality or the facts.

Reach for it when discussing an accurate account that can withstand checking

The investigation brought the truth about the missing funds into public view.

Meaning 2

The practice or quality of honesty and sincerity.

Reach for it when praising commitment to speaking honestly even when it is costly

She chose truth over a convenient explanation that protected her reputation.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2
playful
everyday
warm
professional
formal

Meaning 1: What accords with reality or the facts.

  • playful

    gospel truth

    Fits when emphatic certainty suits informal speech

    Careful The phrase has religious roots and can assert more certainty than evidence supports.

  • everyday

    reality

    Fits when what actually exists matters

    Careful Reality includes everything that exists, not only a claim's accuracy.

  • professional

    accuracy

    Fits when correctness of a representation can be measured

    Careful Accuracy can be partial and lacks truth's moral dimension.

  • professional

    fact

    Fits when one verifiable piece of information is meant

    Careful A fact is discrete, while truth can describe a fuller account or relation to reality.

  • formal

    veracity

    Fits when a statement or speaker's truthfulness is assessed

    Careful Veracity is technical and narrower than reality itself.

Meaning 2: The practice or quality of honesty and sincerity.

  • everyday

    honesty

    Fits when candid conduct is central

    Careful Honesty allows sincere mistakes and does not guarantee factual correctness.

  • warm

    sincerity

    Fits when genuineness of feeling or intention matters

    Careful Sincere belief can still be factually false.

  • formal

    candor

    Fits when frank disclosure of an uncomfortable matter is central

    Careful Candor can be selective and blunt.

Opposites 4

  • falsehood
  • fiction
  • dishonesty
  • deception

Common phrases 3

  • tell the truth

    Witnesses should tell the truth and distinguish memory from inference.

  • truth about

    The report states the truth about delays without exposing private records.

  • seek truth

    Researchers seek truth by making disconfirmation possible.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated