verisimilitude
noun
veri·si·mil·i·tude
ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmi-lə-ˌtüd 
-ˌtyüd
1
: the quality or state of being verisimilar
2
: something verisimilar
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From its roots, verisimilitude means basically "similarity to the truth". Most fiction writers and filmmakers aim at some kind of verisimilitude to give their stories an air of reality. They need not show something actually true, or even very common, but simply something believable. A mass of good details in a play, novel, painting, or film may add verisimilitude. A spy novel without some verisimilitude won't interest many readers, but a fantastical novel may not even attempt to seem true to life.
Examples of verisimilitude in a Sentence
the novel's degree of verisimilitude is compromised by 18th-century characters who speak in very 21st-century English
Recent Examples on the Web
As characters shift rapidly between English and Spanish, director Joel Alfonso Vargas crafts a debut of great verisimilitude, humor, and empathy.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
Yet its evasion of the substance of contemporary American polarization—an increasingly common approach in a Hollywood desperate for hits that will play in red states, blue states, and internationally—undermines that verisimilitude.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
That format lends a greater sense of realism to the show, which has apparently been so effective that it’s driven some chatter online (and in the Vulture comments), often from voices within the medical community praising the series’ verisimilitude.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
A lot about The Pitt is geared toward verisimilitude.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verisimilitude
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Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
Yet its evasion of the substance of contemporary American polarization—an increasingly common approach in a Hollywood desperate for hits that will play in red states, blue states, and internationally—undermines that verisimilitude.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
That format lends a greater sense of realism to the show, which has apparently been so effective that it’s driven some chatter online (and in the Vulture comments), often from voices within the medical community praising the series’ verisimilitude.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
A lot about The Pitt is geared toward verisimilitude.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verisimilitude
Cite this Entry
“Verisimilitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verisimilitude. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
verisimilitude
noun
veri·si·mil·i·tude
ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmil-ə-ˌt(y)üd
: the appearance of being true or real
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