veritable

adjective

ver·i·ta·ble | \ ˈver-ə-tə-bəl

Definition of veritable

: 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

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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

Finally, a recent poll of Americans reveals a veritable abyss between younger and older Americans. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The Ghosts of World War II," 5 Sep. 2019 Ultimately Francis must rethink everything about making shoes — a veritable existential crisis, but Varon is never heavy-handed or didactic, keeping the narrative at the fore. — Victoria Jamieson, New York Times, "Great New Books for a Child Just Learning to Read," 16 Feb. 2018 Citing a veritable cornucopia of ick factors — bacteria, mold, and yeast —they note that manufacturers usually recommend discarding mascara two to four months after purchase. — NBC News, "Here's how often you should replace everything in your bathroom," 16 Feb. 2018 By the Editors With global population numbers projected to increase by 2 billion by 2050, a veritable food crisis is on the horizon. — David Biello, Scientific American, "Can We Feed the World? The Future of Food," 19 Aug. 2013 For a program that has won five championships this decade, that’s a veritable drought. — Adam Lichtenstein, sun-sentinel.com, "Five top storylines to follow this season in Broward football," 23 Aug. 2019 The unsanitary conditions have turned it into a veritable petri dish of disease that's ripe for rodent infestation. — Barnini Chakraborty, Fox News, "LA residents fed up with officials, demand change after homeless crisis spirals in city," 20 Aug. 2019 Over the years, his project has expanded into a veritable data factory. — NBC News, "Master plan of the universe revealed in new galaxy maps," 11 Aug. 2019 The library and office in his cozy home is a veritable bookstore, housing more than 6,000 books. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Environmental warrior Duncan McFetridge’s path leads to Buddha," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'veritable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for veritable

veritable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of veritable

formal : true or real

See the full definition for veritable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

veritable

adjective

ver·i·ta·ble | \ ˈver-ə-tə-bəl

Kids Definition of veritable

: actual, true

Hint: Veritable is often used to emphasize similarity to something else. He is a veritable encyclopedia of facts.

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veritable

Definition of veritable

Other Words from veritable

Did You Know?

Examples of veritable in a Sentence

First Known Use of veritable

History and Etymology for veritable

English Language Learners Definition of veritable

Kids Definition of veritable

veritable

Definition of veritable

Other Words from veritable

Did You Know?

Examples of veritable in a Sentence

First Known Use of veritable

History and Etymology for veritable

English Language Learners Definition of veritable

Kids Definition of veritable

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