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

verisimilitudinous

ˌver-ə-sə-ˌmi-lə-ˈtüd-nəs 

-ˈtyüd-;

-ˈtü-də-nəs

-ˈtyü-

adjective

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• literalism
• naturalism
• realism
• representationalism
• verismo

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

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

The tension between sharp contemporary verisimilitude and age-old romantic archetype helps explain why Bridget potters on while so many other ’90s heroines have fallen by the wayside. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025

Although possessed of more political and celebrity impressions than almost anyone, McKinnon's talents were never as much in verisimilitude as attitude, an unblinking channeling of character and moment that captured an individual as well as any expert impersonator. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin vērīsimilitūdō, from vērī similis, vērīsimilis "having the appearance of truth" + -tūdō, suffix of abstract nouns — more at verisimilar

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for verisimilitude

• accrued
• allude
• collude
• conclude
• construed
• debuted
• delude
• elude
• endued
• ensued
• eschewed
• etude

Kids Definition

verisimilitude

noun

veri·​si·​mil·​i·​tude ˌver-ə-sə-ˈmil-ə-ˌt(y)üd 

: the appearance of being true or real