TRUE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of True

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adjective

True adj. (compar. truer; superl. truest)

1.

Conformable to fact; in accordance with the actual state of things; correct; not false, erroneous, inaccurate, or the like; as, a true relation or narration; a true history; a declaration is true when it states the facts.

2.

Right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate; as, a true copy; a true likeness of the original. "Making his eye, foot, and hand keep true time."

3.

Steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince, or the like; unwavering; faithful; loyal; not false, fickle, or perfidious; as, a true friend; a wife true to her husband; an officer true to his charge. "Thy so true, So faithful, love unequaled." "Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie."

4.

Actual; not counterfeit, adulterated, or pretended; genuine; pure; real; as, true balsam; true love of country; a true Christian. "The true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance."

5.

(Biol.) Genuine; real; not deviating from the essential characters of a class; as, a lizard is a true reptile; a whale is a true, but not a typical, mammal. Note: True is sometimes used elliptically for It is true.

Out of true, varying from correct mechanical form, alignment, adjustment, etc.; said of a wall that is not perpendicular, of a wheel whose circumference is not in the same plane, and the like. (Colloq.)

A true bill (Law), a bill of indictment which is returned by the grand jury so indorsed, signifying that the charges to be true.

True time. See under Time.

adverb

True adv. In accordance with truth; truly.

See images of 'True'

Etymology of 'True'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"True" Quotes from Famous Books

... Africans having been brought hither from the islands of Grenada and Dominica, they were most imprudently induced to enlist in the 1st West India Regiment. True it is, we have been told they did this voluntarily; but it may be asked, if they had any will in the matter, how could they understand the duties to be imposed on them by becoming soldiers, or how comprehend the nature of an oath of allegiance, ...

— The History of the First West India Regiment • A. B. Ellis

... up, put her hands on his face and tilted it back and looked into his eyes. It was true! It was true! She saw it there. And she kissed him and gave a great sobbing sigh and went into her bedroom and began to undress. Was there ...

— Who Cares? • Cosmo Hamilton

... So true was Tom's aim, and so swiftly was the bottle sent, that the American had not time to avoid it, and received a heavy blow in the chest, sufficient to disorder his ...

— The Black Bar • George Manville Fenn

... way home, it was sunset red across the west. She did not know why she was going home. There was nothing for her there. She had, true, only to pretend to be normal. There was nobody she could speak to, nowhere to go for escape. But she must keep on, under this red sunset, alone, knowing the horror in humanity, that would destroy her, and with which she was at war. Yet it had ...

— The Rainbow • D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence

... whole body shall be full of darkness.' Now this word 'evil,' as set in juxtaposition to the former term 'single,' evidently implies a double sight or perverted vision. With this 'evil,' or double sight, our whole body 'shall be full of darkness.' Very well, my friends, if this be true,—(and you surely must believe it true, otherwise you would not support churches for the exposition of the truth as spoken by the Founder of our Faith;—) then we are children of the dark indeed! I doubt if one amongst ...

— The Master-Christian • Marie Corelli

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