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Veracity

n. thoughtful, capable formal

What it means

Meaning 1

Commitment to telling the truth.

Reach for it when discussing the truthfulness of a person, witness, or account

The inquiry found no reason to doubt the witness's veracity.

Meaning 2

The degree to which a claim or representation matches reality.

Reach for it when assessing the factual accuracy of evidence, reporting, or data

Researchers checked the veracity of the map against dated aerial photographs.

Words to choose between 7

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
everyday
warm
professional
formal

Meaning 1: Commitment to telling the truth.

  • everyday

    truthfulness

    Fits when honesty in speech is the exact quality

    Careful Truthfulness focuses on intention and does not guarantee factual accuracy.

  • warm

    honesty

    Fits when integrity and openness matter beyond literal statements

    Careful Honesty also covers fair conduct; veracity concerns the truth of an account.

  • formal

    candor

    Fits when willingness to disclose difficult facts deserves praise

    Careful Candor concerns openness and tone, not whether every detail is accurate.

Meaning 2: The degree to which a claim or representation matches reality.

  • everyday

    correctness

    Fits when a claim simply needs to be right

    Careful Correctness is binary and misses degrees of evidence or truthful intent.

  • professional

    accuracy

    Fits when closeness to measured fact is the test

    Careful Accuracy can arise by chance or method without proving a source's veracity.

  • professional

    authenticity

    Fits when genuineness rather than factual detail is disputed

    Careful An authentic document can contain false claims.

  • professional

    reliability

    Fits when repeated dependable performance matters

    Careful Reliability predicts usefulness but does not prove the truth of this particular statement.

Opposites 4

  • mendacity
  • dishonesty
  • falsity
  • inaccuracy

Common phrases 3

  • question the veracity

    The editor had to question the veracity of the anonymous quotation.

  • establish veracity

    Timestamped records helped establish the veracity of her account.

  • reputation for veracity

    His reputation for veracity rested on publishing corrections promptly.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vininn126, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated