true
Part of speech: adj
adv
noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: biology
golf
hobbies
human-sciences
lifestyle
logic
mathematics
natural-sciences
philosophy
probability
sciences
sports
Etymology: From Middle English treowe, trew, trewe, triwe, true, trwe, from Old English trēowe, trīewe (“faithful, true”), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiz (“faithful, true”), from pre-Germanic *drewh₂yos, from Proto-Indo-European *drewH- (“firm, hard, true”).
Cognates
Cognate with Saterland Frisian trjou (“honest”), Alemannic German trüüw (“loyal”), Dutch trouw (“loyal, true”), German treu (“loyal, true”), Luxembourgish trei (“loyal”), Danish tryg (“safe, secure”), Faroese and Icelandic tryggur (“faithful, loyal; safe”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish trygg (“safe, secure”), Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐍃 (triggws, “true; faithful, loyal”); also Irish dearbh (“sure”), Old Prussian druwis (“faith”), Ancient Greek δροόν (droón, “firm”)), extension of *dóru (“tree”) (possibly also Proto-Slavic *sъdorvъ (“healthy”) from the same root). More at tree. For the semantic development, compare Latin robustus (“tough”) from robur (“red oak”).
Inflected forms:
form: truer
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: more true
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: truest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: most true
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: tru
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Internet
form: troo
pos: adj
tags: alternative
nonstandard
form: tr00
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Internet
Leet
form: trew
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: tru
pos: adv
tags: alternative
Internet
form: troo
pos: adv
tags: alternative
nonstandard
form: tr00
pos: adv
tags: alternative
Internet
Leet
form: trew
pos: adv
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: tru
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Internet
form: troo
pos: noun
tags: alternative
nonstandard
form: tr00
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Internet
Leet
form: trew
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: trues
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: trueing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: truing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: trued
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: trued
pos: verb
tags: past
form: tru
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Internet
form: troo
pos: verb
tags: alternative
nonstandard
form: tr00
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Internet
Leet
form: trew
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: Conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct.
pos: adj
examples: This is a true story.
The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.
At any rate, this does tend to put in truer perspective the symbolic claim placed by Herodotus in the mouth of 'the Athenians'—also Ionians—in 480/479, that the fact of being Greek was constituted in essential part by 'same-bloodedness'.
Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.[…]One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.
As the is it gold is it blue? dress moment proved all too well, dividing opinion on social media is really not that hard. And, when it comes to GymTok, that couldn't be truer.
gloss: Conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct.
pos: adj
examples: True, I have only read part of the book, but I like it so far.
gloss: Conforming to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate.
pos: adj
examples: a true copy
a true likeness of the original
[…]making his eye, foot, and hand keep true time[…]
gloss: Of the state in Boolean logic that indicates an affirmative or positive result.
pos: adj
examples: "A and B" is true if and only if "A" is true and "B" is true.
gloss: Loyal, faithful.
pos: adj
examples: He’s turned out to be a true friend.
I really let you down / Next time I'll be true, yeah
gloss: Genuine; legitimate; valid; sensu stricto.
pos: adj
examples: The true king has returned!
This is true Parmesan cheese — it is from the Parma region.
The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye tune the harpe wrong / Mys tunyng of an Inſtrument ſhal hurt a true ſonge
The Washington Monument is often described as an obelisk, and sometimes even as a “true obelisk,” even though it is not. A true obelisk is a monolith, a pylon formed out of a single piece of stone.
gloss: Genuine; legitimate; valid; sensu stricto.
pos: adj
examples: true sparrows (Passer)
true spiders
true blusher (Amanita rubescens, as distinguished from the false blusher, Amanita pantherina)
The true bugs are those of the order Hemiptera; and, by some lights, most truly those of the suborder Heteroptera.
gloss: Accurate; following a path toward the target.
pos: adj
tags: usually
examples: Whate'er the weapon, still his aim was true, Nor e'er in vain the fatal bullet flew.
I held my breath and struck the ball. My aim was true, but I didn't give the damn thing enough gas. It died three feet from the cup.
gloss: Correctly aligned or calibrated, without deviation.
pos: adj
examples: Is my bike wheel true? It feels unsteady.
Brakes need good braking surfaces and true wheels to work properly.
gloss: Fair, unbiased, not loaded.
pos: adj
examples: Let Z#95;t be twice the value of a true die shown on the t-th toss.
In fact, few profit margins can be predicted with such reliability as those provided by a true roulette wheel or other game of chance.
Finally, the truest measure of quality: In interconference games, Western teams have a 57-38 record against the East, including overtime and penalty shootout results — a winning percentage of .600.
We do not reject, because 9 heads and 3 tails is in a set of reasonably likely results when we toss a true coin.
gloss: based on actual historical events.
pos: adj
examples: true crime
true romance
[A] skinny blonde of about twenty sitting in an armchair by an electric fire reading a true romance magazine.
gloss: Accurately; in alignment.
pos: adv
tags: not-comparable
examples: This gun shoots true.
If the tyre doesn't run true (it wobbles as you spin the wheel), re-seat it by letting most of the air out and pulling the tyre away from the bead.
Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better.
gloss: Truthfully.
pos: adv
tags: archaic
not-comparable
examples: I tel you true my hart is ſwolne with wrath,
On this ſame theeuish villain Tamburlain.
What am I to you? Tell me, darling, true.
gloss: The state of being in alignment.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Some toolmakers are very careless when drilling the first hole through work that is to be bored, claiming that if the drilled hole comes out of true somewhat it can be brought true with the boring tool.
She clapped her hands happily, and he thought how pretty she was really, that is, the upper part of her face—from the bridge of the nose down she was somewhat out of true.
The crate shifted on its pallet, out of sync now. As the lift withdrew, the crate skidded with it, dragged by friction and gravity, skewing farther and farther from true.
The strength and number of blows depends on how far out of true the shafts are.
gloss: Truth.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
uncountable
gloss: To straighten (something that is supposed to be straight).
pos: verb
examples: He trued the spokes of the bicycle wheel.
Don't attempt to true a wheel until you've a good idea what is causing the buckle.
gloss: To make even, level, symmetrical, or accurate, align; adjust (often followed by up).
pos: verb
examples: We spent all night truing up the report.
Related words: truth
Derived words: in true
out of true
true-up
Translations:
lang: Abkhaz
word: аиаша
roman: ajaŝa
lang: Acehnese
word: beuna
lang: Albanian
word: vërtetuar
lang: Amharic
word: እውነተኛ
roman: ʾəwnätäña
lang: Arabic
word: حَقّ
roman: ḥaqq
lang: Arabic
word: صَحِيح
roman: ṣaḥīḥ
lang: Arabic
word: صَادِق
roman: ṣādiq
lang: Arabic
word: حقيقي
roman: ḥaʔīʔi
lang: Aramaic
word: שרירא
roman: sharīrā, sharīro
lang: Aramaic
word: שרירתא
roman: sharīrtā, sharīrto
lang: Aramaic
word: ܫܪܝܪܐ
roman: sharīrā, sharīro
lang: Aramaic
word: ܫܪܝܪܬܐ
roman: sharīrtā, sharīrto
lang: Armenian
word: ճիշտ
roman: čišt
lang: Armenian
word: իրական
roman: irakan
lang: Assamese
word: আচল
roman: asol
lang: Assamese
word: সঁচা
roman: xõsa
lang: Asturian
word: verdaderu
lang: Azerbaijani
word: doğru
lang: Azerbaijani
word: düzgün
lang: Azerbaijani
word: həqiqi
lang: Bashkir
word: ысын
roman: ısın
lang: Basque
word: egiazko
lang: Belarusian
word: ве́рны
roman: vjérny
lang: Belarusian
word: сапра́ўдны
roman: sapráwdny
lang: Belarusian
word: праўдзі́вы
roman: prawdzívy
lang: Bhojpuri
word: सांच
roman: sāñc
lang: Breton
word: gwir
lang: Bulgarian
word: ве́рен
roman: véren
lang: Bulgarian
word: и́стински
roman: ístinski
lang: Bulgarian
word: правди́в
roman: pravdív
lang: Burmese
word: ဟုတ်
roman: hut
lang: Catalan
word: vertader
lang: Catalan
word: veritable
lang: Chamicuro
word: akachelo'ta
lang: Cherokee
word: ᎤᏙᎯᏳ
roman: udohiyu
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 真
roman: zhēn
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 真實 /真实
roman: zhēnshí
lang: Chuukese
word: ennet
lang: Cornish
word: gwir
lang: Czech
word: pravdivý
lang: Danish
word: sand
lang: Dutch
word: echt
lang: Dutch
word: waar
lang: Esperanto
word: vera
lang: Estonian
word: päris
lang: Estonian
word: tõeline
lang: Fijian
word: dina
lang: Finnish
word: tosi
lang: Finnish
word: tosi-
lang: Finnish
word: totuudenmukainen
lang: French
word: vrai
lang: Friulian
word: vêr
lang: Galician
word: verdadeiro
lang: Georgian
word: ნამდვილი
roman: namdvili
lang: Georgian
word: მართალი
roman: martali
lang: Georgian
word: ჭეშმარიტი
roman: č̣ešmariṭi
lang: German
word: wahr
lang: German
word: echt
lang: German
word: richtig
lang: German
word: zutreffend
lang: German
word: stimmig
lang: German
word: wahrheitsgemäß
lang: German
word: wahrhaftig
lang: German
word: korrekt
lang: Gothic
word: 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌹𐍃
roman: sunjis
lang: Greek
word: αληθινός
roman: alithinós
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἀληθής
roman: alēthḗs
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἀληθινός
roman: alēthinós
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ὤν
roman: ṓn
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἐτεός
roman: eteós
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἐτήτυμος
roman: etḗtumos
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ἔτυμος
roman: étumos
lang: Ancient Greek
word: ὀρθός
roman: orthós
lang: Haitian Creole
word: vre
lang: Hebrew
word: נכון
roman: nakhón
lang: Higaonon
word: bunal
lang: Hindi
word: ठीक
roman: ṭhīk
lang: Hindi
word: सच
roman: sac
lang: Hindi
word: सही
roman: sahī
lang: White Hmong
word: tseeb
lang: Hungarian
word: igaz
lang: Icelandic
word: sannur
lang: Indonesian
word: benar
lang: Ingrian
word: tosi
lang: Iranun
word: benar
lang: Irish
word: fíor
lang: Italian
word: vero
lang: Japanese
word: 真実の
roman: shinjitsu-no
lang: Japanese
word: 本当な
roman: hontō-na
lang: Kapampangan
word: tutu
lang: Khmer
word: ពិត
roman: pɨt
lang: Khmer
word: ពិតមែន
roman: pɨt mɛɛn
lang: Korean
word: 참되다
roman: chamdoeda
lang: Korean
word: 바르다
roman: bareuda
lang: Korean
word: 진실의
roman: jinsirui
lang: Latin
word: vērus
lang: Latvian
word: patiess
lang: Lombard
word: ver
lang: Malay
word: benar
lang: Māori
word: pono
lang: Maranao
word: benar
lang: Maranao
word: betol
lang: Maranao
word: totoo
lang: Mongolian
word: үнэн
roman: ünen
lang: Occitan
word: vertadièr
lang: Odia
word: ଠିକ
roman: ṭhika
lang: Southern Ohlone
word: amane
lang: Old English
word: sōþ
lang: Persian
word: صحیح
roman: sahih
lang: Persian
word: درست
roman: dorost
lang: Piedmontese
word: ver
lang: Polish
word: prawdziwy
lang: Polish
word: istny
lang: Portuguese
word: verdadeiro
lang: Quechua
word: chiqa
lang: Romanian
word: adevărat
lang: Russian
word: ве́рный
roman: vérnyj
lang: Russian
word: и́стинный
roman: ístinnyj
lang: Russian
word: правди́вый
roman: pravdívyj
lang: Sardinian
word: beru
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: fìor
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: istinit
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: pravi
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: istinito
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: pravo
lang: Sicilian
word: veru
lang: Slovene
word: resničen
lang: Spanish
word: cierto
lang: Spanish
word: verdadero
lang: Spanish
word: verídico
lang: Spanish
word: verífico
lang: Spanish
word: vero
lang: Swedish
word: sann
lang: Sylheti
word: ꠢꠣꠌꠣ
roman: hasa
lang: Tagalog
word: totoo
lang: Tamil
word: உண்மையான
roman: uṇmaiyāṉa
lang: Tày
word: cà rình
lang: Tày
word: ca rại
lang: Tetum
word: loos
lang: Thai
word: จริง
roman: jing
lang: Tibetan
word: བདེན་པ
roman: bden pa
lang: Tocharian B
word: empreṃ
lang: Tocharian B
word: trik-
lang: Tok Pisin
word: tru
lang: Turkish
word: gerçek
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: كرچك
roman: gerçek
lang: Ukrainian
word: ві́рний
roman: vírnyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: і́стинний
roman: ístynnyj
lang: Ukrainian
word: правди́вий
roman: pravdývyj
lang: Urdu
word: ٹھیک
roman: ṭhīk
lang: Urdu
word: سچ
roman: sac
lang: Urdu
word: صحیح
roman: sahīh
lang: Venetan
word: vero
lang: Vietnamese
word: thật
lang: Vietnamese
word: phải
lang: Volapük
word: veratik
lang: Walloon
word: vraiy
lang: Welsh
word: gwir
lang: Yiddish
word: אמת
roman: emes
lang: Yiddish
word: אמתדיק
roman: emesdik
lang: Zazaki
word: raştıkên
lang: Amharic
word: እውነተኛ
roman: ʾəwnätäña
lang: Arabic
word: حَقِيقِيّ
roman: ḥaqīqiyy
lang: Armenian
word: իսկական
roman: iskakan
lang: Armenian
word: իրական
roman: irakan
lang: Azerbaijani
word: əsl
lang: Azerbaijani
word: həqiqi
lang: Bashkir
word: ысын
roman: ısın
lang: Bulgarian
word: истински
roman: istinski
lang: Bulgarian
word: действителен
roman: dejstvitelen
lang: Catalan
word: genuí
lang: Catalan
word: autèntic
lang: Catalan
word: propi
lang: Catalan
word: legítim
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 真正
roman: zhēnzhèng
lang: Czech
word: pravý
lang: Dutch
word: echt
lang: Dutch
word: waar
lang: Finnish
word: oikea
lang: Finnish
word: aito
lang: Finnish
word: todellinen
lang: Finnish
word: laillinen
lang: French
word: vrai
lang: French
word: véritable
lang: Galician
word: verdadeiro
lang: Georgian
word: ნამდვილი
roman: namdvili
lang: German
word: echt
lang: German
word: wahr
lang: German
word: eigentlich
lang: German
word: tatsächlich
lang: German
word: effektiv
lang: German
word: legitim
lang: German
word: rechtmäßig
lang: German
word: wahrhaftig
lang: Greek
word: αληθινός
roman: alithinós
lang: Greek
word: αυθεντικός
roman: afthentikós
lang: Greek
word: νόμιμος
roman: nómimos
lang: White Hmong
word: tseeb
lang: Hungarian
word: igazi
lang: Hungarian
word: valódi
lang: Hungarian
word: eredeti
lang: Hungarian
word: hiteles
lang: Irish
word: fíor
lang: Japanese
word: 本物の
roman: honmono-no
lang: Japanese
word: 正統な
roman: seitō-na
lang: Korean
word: 참되다
roman: chamdoeda
lang: Korean
word: 바르다
roman: bareuda
lang: Latin
word: verus
lang: Latin
word: legitimus
lang: Latvian
word: īsts
lang: Latvian
word: īstens
lang: Norwegian
word: ekte
lang: Norwegian
word: sann
lang: Old English
word: sōþ
lang: Persian
word: راستین
roman: râstin
lang: Polish
word: prawdziwy
lang: Portuguese
word: verdadeiro
lang: Portuguese
word: autêntico
lang: Portuguese
word: legítimo
lang: Romanian
word: adevărat
lang: Russian
word: настоя́щий
roman: nastojáščij
lang: Russian
word: по́длинный
roman: pódlinnyj
lang: Russian
word: и́стинный
roman: ístinnyj
lang: Russian
word: тру
roman: tru
lang: Russian
word: тру́шный
roman: trúšnyj
lang: Sanskrit
word: जेन्य
roman: jenya
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: fìor
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: iskren
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: istinski
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: istinito
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: zakonito
lang: Swedish
word: äkta
lang: Swedish
word: sann
lang: Tagalog
word: tunay
lang: Telugu
word: నిష్కపటం
roman: niṣkapaṭaṁ
lang: Telugu
word: హక్కుదారుడు
roman: hakkudāruḍu
lang: Tibetan
word: ཁྲིམས་མཐུན
roman: khrims mthun
lang: Tibetan
word: ལུགས་མཐུན
lang: Tibetan
word: ལུགས་མཐུན་དྲང་བདེན་གྱི
roman: lugs mthun drang bden gyi
lang: Tok Pisin
word: tru
lang: Turkish
word: gerçek
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: كرچك
roman: gerçek
lang: Vietnamese
word: đích thực
lang: Volapük
word: legik
lang: Welsh
word: gwir