VERISIMILITUDE -- Read me first!

[Dr. Goodword]

• verisimilitude •

Pronunciation: ve-rê-sê-mi-lê-tyud • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass (no plural)

Meaning: 1. The quality of seeming to be true, approaching truth. 2. The quality of seeming to be real, realistic.

Notes: Today's Good Word is the noun from the adjective verisimilar which means "approaching truth or reality". However, this noun has its own adjective with a similar meaning: verisimilitudinous. It comes in handy when you have little to say and want every word to take up as much space or time as possible.

In Play: The meaning of today's word is fuzzy: it can refer to truthfulness or only the appearance of truthfulness. Let me show you what I mean: "I couldn't believe the verisimilitude of the movie to the events it portrayed." No deception is implied here but now listen to this: "The tear dripping from her eye added materially to the verisimilitude to Anna Felaxus's show of grief at the funeral." In this case we are led to believe that Anna might be faking it. Be careful how you use it.

Word History: Today's Good Word comprises two roots we are already familiar with, verus "true" and similis "similar" (see simular. Verus shares a source with Old English waer "faith, pledge" which remains only in current very and warlock. The latter word was originally waer "pledge" + loga "liar" and meant "pledge breaker". The name Vera comes from the same source and, by the way, "faith" in Russian is vera, also of the same origin. Click simular above for more on similis. (This expression of gratitude to Ralph B. Mowery for suggesting today's Good Word has a 100% verisimilitude to the real thing.)

[gailr]

So, verisimilitude is virtually true?


Anna Felaxus: good addition to the agora stock characters.

[skinem]

So, verisimilitude is virtually true?


Anna Felaxus: good addition to the agora stock characters.

Virtually.