veracity

Definitions

verac- (from verax, 'truthful') + -ity (state, quality) = 'the state of being truthful.' It names two closely linked things at once: whether a statement matches the facts, and whether a person reliably tells the truth.

Why It Means This

Veracity carries a formal, often legal weight that plain 'truth' or 'honesty' lacks. Lawyers question the veracity of testimony; historians weigh the veracity of a source. It frames truth as something to be assessed and judged, not just stated — which is why it shows up in courtrooms and investigations more than in casual speech.

Common Collocations

• 1.the veracity of……的真实性
• 2.question the veracity质疑真实性
• 3.doubt the veracity怀疑真实性
• 4.check the veracity核实真实性

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The court had serious doubts about the veracity of his testimony.

• 2.

  No one questioned the veracity of the eyewitness.

• 3.

  Editors must check the veracity of every claim before publishing.

Easily Confused

veracity vs voracity — almost identical in spelling, opposite in meaning. veracity (from ver, true) is truthfulness; voracity (from vorare, to devour) is extreme greed or appetite — the noun behind voracious. One letter apart, one is about honesty, the other about hunger.

Synonym Comparison