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adj. tru·er, tru·est 1. a. Consistent with fact or reality; not false or erroneous: the true cost. See Synonyms at real1. See Usage Note at fact. c. Conforming to the characteristics or criteria of a group or type; typical: a true crab; a true gentleman. d. Properly called: true value. 2. Reliable; accurate: a true prophecy. 3. a. Faithful, as to a friend, vow, or cause; loyal. See Synonyms at faithful. b. Archaic Truthful, honest, or trustworthy. 4. Sincerely felt or expressed; unfeigned: true grief. 5. Rightful; legitimate: the true heir. 6. a. Exactly conforming to a rule, standard, or pattern: trying to sing true B. b. Accurately shaped, fitted, or placed: Are the wheels true? c. Determined with reference to the earth's axis, not the magnetic poles: true north. 7. Quick and exact in sensing and responding: a true ear. 8. Computers Indicating one of two possible values taken by a variable in Boolean logic or a binary device. adv. 1. In accord with reality, fact, or truthfulness. 2. Unswervingly; exactly: The archer aimed true. 3. So as to conform to a type, standard, or pattern. tr.v. trued, tru·ing or true·ing, trues To position (something) so as to make it balanced, level, or square: trued up the long planks. n. 1. Truth or reality. Used with the. 2. Proper alignment or adjustment: out of true. [Middle English trewe, from Old English trēowe, firm, trustworthy; see deru- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] trueness n. Word History: The words true and tree are joined at the root, etymologically speaking. In Old English, the words looked and sounded much more alike than they do now: "tree" was trēow and "true" was trēowe. The first of these comes from the Germanic noun *trewam; the second, from the adjective *treuwaz. Both these Germanic words ultimately go back to an Indo-European root *deru- or *dreu-, appearing in derivatives referring to wood and, by extension, firmness. Truth may be thought of as something firm; so too can certain bonds between people, like trust, another derivative of the same root. A slightly different form of the root, *dru-, appears in the word druid, a type of ancient Celtic priest; his name is etymologically *dru-wid-, or "strong seer." |
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