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View synonyms for true

true

[ troo ]

adjective

, tru·er, tru·est.
  1. being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact; not false:

    a true story.

    Synonyms: veracious, factual

  2. real; genuine; authentic:

    true gold; true feelings.

  3. sincere; not deceitful:

    a true interest in someone's welfare.

    Synonyms: honest

  4. firm in allegiance; loyal; faithful; steadfast:

    a true friend.

    Synonyms: steady, constant, staunch, trustworthy

  5. being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something:

    the true meaning of his statement.

  6. conforming to or consistent with a standard, pattern, or the like:

    a true copy.

  7. exact; precise; accurate; correct:

    a true balance.

    Synonyms: faithful

  8. of the right kind; such as it should be; proper:

    to arrange things in their true order.

  9. properly so called; rightly answering to a description:

    true statesmanship.

  10. legitimate or rightful:

    the true heir.

  11. reliable, unfailing, or sure:

    a true sign.

  12. exactly or accurately shaped, formed, fitted, or placed, as a surface, instrument, or part of a mechanism.
  13. honest; honorable; upright.
  14. Biology. conforming to the type, norm, or standard of structure of a particular group; typical:

    The lion is a true cat.

  15. Animal Husbandry. purebred.
  16. Navigation. (of a bearing, course, etc.) determined in relation to true north.
  17. Archaic. truthful.


noun

  1. exact or accurate formation, position, or adjustment:

    to be out of true.

  2. the true, something that is true; truth.

adverb

  1. in a true manner; truly; truthfully.
  2. exactly or accurately.
  3. in conformity with the ancestral type:

    to breed true.

verb (used with object)

, trued, tru·ing or true·ing.
  1. to make true; shape, adjust, place, etc., exactly or accurately:

    to true the wheels of a bicycle after striking a pothole.

  2. (especially in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often followed by up ):

    to true up the sides of a door.

true

/ truː /

adjective

  1. not false, fictional, or illusory; factual or factually accurate; conforming with reality
  2. prenominal being of real or natural origin; genuine; not synthetic

    true leather

    1. unswervingly faithful and loyal to friends, a cause, etc

      a true follower

    2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the loyal and the true

  3. faithful to a particular concept of truth, esp of religious truth

    a true believer

  4. conforming to a required standard, law, or pattern

    a true fit

    a true aim

  5. exactly in tune

    a true note

  6. (of a compass bearing) according to the earth's geographical rather than magnetic poles

    true north

  7. biology conforming to the typical structure of a designated type

    sphagnum moss is a true moss, Spanish moss is not

  8. physics not apparent or relative; taking into account all complicating factors Compare apparent

    the true expansion of a liquid takes into account the expansion of the container

  9. not true informal.
    unbelievable; remarkable

    she's got so much money it's not true

  10. true to life
    exactly comparable with reality


noun

  1. correct alignment (esp in the phrases in true, out of true )

adverb

  1. truthfully; rightly
  2. precisely or unswervingly

    he shot true

  3. biology without variation from the ancestral type

    to breed true

verb

  1. tr to adjust so as to make true

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Derived Forms

  • ˈtrueness, noun

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Other Words From

  • trueness noun
  • half-true adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of true1

before 900; Middle English trewe (adj. and adv.), Old English trēowe (adj.) loyal, trusty, honest ( trow, truce ); akin to Dutch trouw, German treu, Old Norse tryggr, Gothic triggws

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Word History and Origins

Origin of true1

Old English triewe ; related to Old Frisian triūwe , Old Saxon, Old High German triuwi loyal, Old Norse tryggr ; see trow , trust

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. come true, to have the expected or hoped-for result; become a reality:

    She couldn't believe that her dream would ever come true.

More idioms and phrases containing true

  • come true
  • course of true love
  • dream come true
  • find true north
  • hold good (true)
  • ring false (true)
  • run (true) to form
  • too good to be true
  • tried and true

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Synonym Study

See real 1.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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