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true

TROO/tɹuː/

16 meanings of true

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  1. 1
    adjective
    Agreeing with fact or reality; correct, or based on events that really happened.

    The film is based on the true story of a family who survived three weeks lost at sea.

    It is true that water boils at a lower temperature high in the mountains.

    UsageOften it's true that + clause. With dreams and wishes, the usual expression is come true.

    Similaraccurate, correct, factual, right, real

    Oppositefalse, untrue, inaccurate

    Note

    Old English trīewe meant "trusty, faithful," and a statement came to be called true much as a friend was: because it could be relied on.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

  2. 2
    genuineadjective
    Real and genuine; belonging to a group in the strict sense, including the strict scientific sense of a common name.

    Critics say the country is not a true democracy, since its elections are rigged.

    A true ruby is a form of corundum, unlike the cheaper red stones sold under that name.

    UsageUsually before the noun: a true democracy, a true ruby.

    Similargenuine, real, authentic, proper, actual

    Oppositefalse, fake

    Note

    A strict-sense marker: it separates the real member of a category from things that only pass under its name. Henry Petroski, writing about the Washington Monument in American Scientist (2012), notes that it is called a "true obelisk" even though it is not one, because a true obelisk is cut from a single piece of stone.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • Henry Petroski wrote about the Washington Monument in American Scientist in 2012. biblioteca.universum.unam.mx
    • Petroski reports that the Washington Monument is sometimes called a 'true obelisk', although it fails his strict definition requiring a single piece of stone. en.wiktionary.org
  3. 3
    faithfuladjective
    Steadfastly loyal and faithful.

    She remained true to her friends through every setback.

    He stayed true to his principles despite enormous pressure.

    UsageAfter a verb, usually true to: true to her friends, stay true to yourself.

    Similarloyal, faithful, steadfast, devoted, constant

    Oppositedisloyal, unfaithful, false, faithless

    Note

    The meaning closest to the word's root, the "trusty, faithful" sense behind the factual meaning. It can also stand alone as a promise, as in Womack & Womack's "Teardrops" (1988), where the singer vows faithfulness from now on.

  4. 4
    adjective
    Used to begin a sentence, as a shortened form of "it is true that," to concede a point before qualifying it.

    True, we lost the first game, but the season is far from over.

    True, the book is long, though every chapter earns its place.

    UsageComes first, with a comma, then a contrast: True, it's long, but it's good.

    Similargranted, agreed

    Note

    A concession placed at the head of a sentence: the speaker grants a point and then turns.

  5. 5
    adjective
    Precisely in accord with a rule or pattern; accurate.

    The portrait is a true likeness of her grandmother at twenty.

    Scholars praised the translation as true to the original, right down to its odd punctuation.

    UsageOften true to: true to the original, true to life.

    Similarexact, accurate

Practice

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Origin

Proto-Indo-European *drewh₂- ("steady, firm"), an extension of *dóru ("tree"), lies behind Proto-Germanic *triwwiz (compare German treu, Dutch trouw). That gave Old English trīewe, meaning "trusty, faithful," with the Mercian form trēowe, and it became Middle English trewe. Latin shows a similar shift in meaning, with robustus ("tough") coming from robur ("red oak").

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 8 facts