verity

/ˈvɛrədi/

Other forms: verities

If your friend tells you she saw a UFO yesterday afternoon, you might be inclined to question the verity, or truthfulness, of her statement. Everyone knows UFOs are only visible at night.

Verity can also be used to mean “a true idea, belief, or statement.” Abstract concepts like love and goodness are often referred to as verities, conveying the idea that they are universal truths. Verity is related to the word verify, meaning “to determine whether something is true." If your friend tells you that UFO story again, you should verify its verity!

Definitions of verity

1. noun

   conformity to reality or actuality
   “he turned to religion in his search for eternal verities”

   synonyms: the true, trueness, truth

   type of:

   actuality

   the state of actually existing objectively
2. noun

   an enduring or necessary ethical or religious or aesthetic truth
   type of:

   truth

   a fact that has been verified