veritable
adjective
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Veritable, like its close relative verity ("truth"), came to English through Anglo-French from Latin. It is ultimately derived from verus, the Latin word for "true," which also gave us verify, aver, and verdict. Veritable is often used as a synonym of genuine or authentic ("a veritable masterpiece"), but it is also frequently used to stress the aptness of a metaphor, often in a humorous tone ("a veritable swarm of lawyers"). In the past, usage commentators have objected to the latter use, but today it doesn't draw much criticism.
Examples of veritable in a Sentence
George Varga, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2025
Powerful streams of water from a veritable traffic jam of firetrucks were snatched by the wind and carried away as mist.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
The costumes in The Last Showgirl are veritable art pieces.
—Hedy Phillips, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Here, the 18th-century figurehead is a veritable poster child for irrepressible curiosity and joyful problem-solving.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near veritable
Cite this Entry
“Veritable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veritable. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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