truthful

adjective

truth·​ful ˈtrüth-fəl 

: telling or disposed to tell the truth

a truthful witness

truthfully

ˈtrüth-fə-lē 

adverb

truthfulness noun

Synonyms

• honest
• veracious

Examples of truthful in a Sentence

We were not entirely truthful with her about where we went last night.

I like keeping the house clean but, to be truthful, I hate vacuuming.

Recent Examples on the Web

At times, generative AI produces confabulations, made-up seemingly out of thin air, that appear to be truthful but are not grounded in factuality. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

And a truthful portrayal by Thompson Jr. brings forth the tidiness of the denouement inside the very efficient, tight, and uninterrupted 90-minute runtime. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025

That might be the most truthful thing he's ever said. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025

Alternative media — truthful and reliable media — are important to independence of thought. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for truthful

• youthful
• untruthful

Kids Definition

truthful

adjective

truth·​ful ˈtrüth-fəl 

: telling or being in the habit of telling the truth

truthfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

truthfulness noun