Verity Meaning
/ˈvɛɹɪti/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounTruth, fact or reality, especially an enduring religious or ethical truth; veracity.
nounA true statement; an established doctrine.
Sentence Examples
Tom's testimony cast serious doubt on the verity of John's account.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient philosopher searched for eternal ____ in the universe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The philosopher discussed the ____ of the ancient legends and whether they contained any several actual and historical truth today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English verite, from Anglo-Norman verité or Middle French verité, from Old French verité, from Latin vēritās, from the adjective vērus (“true”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[...] but in the verity of extolment
I take him to be a soul of great article and his infusion
of such dearth and rareness as, to make true diction of
him, his semblable in his mirror, and who else would
trace him, his umbrage, nothing more."
— c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
"For the assured truth of things is derived from the principles of knowledg, and causes which determine their verities."
— 1650, Thomas Browne, chapter I, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 3:
"I was moving into the biblical phase of the afternoon, the peak of my new simplicity. A verity less than eternal had little appeal."
— 1972, Don DeLillo, End Zone, page 54:
"If civilized life had covered over the ancient verities, Dumuzi learns in his tragic death that the sheepfold is still there to reclaim him."
— 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 180:
"As we shall see, all of these statements are of limited verity."
— 2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, →DOI, page 487:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ancient philosopher searched for eternal ____ in the universe.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The philosopher discussed the ____ of the ancient legends and whether they contained any several actual and historical truth today.