veritable

adjective

ver·​i·​ta·​ble ˈver-ə-tə-bəl How to pronounce veritable (audio)
: being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary
often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor
a veritable mountain of references
veritableness noun
veritably adverb

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web During his lecture, Dr. Burkitt mapped a veritable pediatric cancer belt that extended across equatorial Africa. Delthia Ricks, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 There are over 3,000 slots + table games, including a veritable smorgasbord of blackjack variants. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Among the array of pools at the resort, the most striking is King’s Pond, a veritable aquarium that is home to dozens of species of fish. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 1 Jan. 2024 That battle culminated two weeks ago under a veritable storm of KABs. David Axe, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Within the Four Seasons residential community and part of the Four Seasons rental pool, a sprawling six-bedroom residence christened Casa Las Olas is the veritable crown jewel of Peninsula Papagayo’s. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 But a veritable rainbow of alternatives—including blue, green, pink, and white hydrogen—could offer cleaner ways to use the fuel. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 25 Feb. 2024 Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter two days after the finale aired, López waxes about the veritable true detectives who spent the past six weeks dissecting True Detective online, locating and unlocking massive pieces of the puzzle along the way. Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 Another popular dish is the Mt. Tam Potatoes ($15), which are just that – a veritable mini-mountain of home fries, jack and cheddar cheeses, avocado, salsas verde and roja and two eggs of any style. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'veritable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "reliable, honest, true, factual," borrowed from Anglo-French (continental Old French, "real, true"), from verité "truth, verity" + -able -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of veritable was in the 15th century

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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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

veritable

adjective
ver·​i·​ta·​ble ˈver-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce veritable (audio)
: actual, true
often used to stress the appropriateness of a metaphor
a veritable mountain of papers
veritably adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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