Truth vs. True — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 29, 2023
"Truth" is a noun referring to the state or quality of being in accordance with fact or reality, while "true" is an adjective describing something that conforms to fact or authenticity.
Difference Between Truth and True
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
"Truth" and "true" both center around the concept of reality and accuracy. However, "truth" as a noun represents the embodiment of facts, principles, or the actual state of something. Conversely, "true" is an adjective, qualifying a subject as being in line with reality, authenticity, or accuracy.
We seek the "truth" in many aspects of life, from philosophy to everyday occurrences. It can be considered the summation of all things that are "true" or factual in a given context. "True," on the other hand, is a descriptor we apply to individual statements, beliefs, or phenomena to affirm their correctness or genuineness.
It's possible to say that something is "true" based on observed evidence or accepted standards, but the "truth" encompasses a broader, often deeper, understanding. For example, one might know it's "true" that water boils at 100°C under specific conditions, but the "truth" about why and how this happens involves a deeper dive into science.
"Truth" often carries with it philosophical or moral weight, prompting deeper reflection and thought. Philosophers might ponder the nature of "truth," while everyday conversations might use "true" to simply validate a statement or fact.
Both words are crucial in the pursuit of knowledge. While "true" often relates to surface-level verifications, "truth" delves into the comprehensive understanding or principle behind those validations.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Noun
Adjective
Definition
The quality or state of being in line with fact or reality.
Conforming to reality or correctness.
Usage
Represents the embodiment or principle of facts.
Describes the accuracy or genuineness of something.
Depth
Often deeper, encompasses broad understanding.
Surface-level validation of authenticity.
Philosophical Relevance
Pondered as an abstract concept or principle.
Used to affirm statements or facts.
Compare with Definitions
Truth
The state of being in accordance with fact or reality.
She discovered the truth about his past.
True
In accordance with fact or reality.
The story is true.
Truth
A fact or belief that is accepted as correct.
The truths of science can evolve over time.
True
Genuine; not counterfeit.
She wears a true diamond necklace.
Truth
Conformity to fact or actuality
Does this story have any truth?.
True
Accurate or exact.
His aim was true.
Truth
The quality or state of being loyal or faithful.
He remained true to his promise.
True
Loyal or faithful.
He was a true friend.
Truth
The core or real nature of something.
The truth of the matter is more complicated.
True
Consistent with a certain standard or original.
The renovation stayed true to the home's historical style.
Truth
Such statements considered as a group
Researchers in pursuit of truth.
True
Conforming to the characteristics or criteria of a group or type; typical
A true crab.
A true gentleman.
Truth
Theology & Philosophy That which is considered to be the ultimate ground of reality.
True
Properly called
True value.
Truth
Conformity to rule; exactness; close correspondence with an example, mood, model, etc.
True
Truth or reality. Used with the.
Truth
Fidelity; constancy; steadfastness; faithfulness.
Alas! they had been friends in youth,But whispering tongues can poison truth.
True
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.
Truth
To assert as true; to declare.
Had they [the ancients] dreamt this, they would have truthed it heaven.
True
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.
Truth
Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality. In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs, propositions, and declarative sentences.Truth is usually held to be the opposite of falsehood.
True
Devoted (sometimes fanatically) to a cause or concept or truth;
True believers bonded together against all who disagreed with them
Truth
Reality; actuality
In truth, he was not qualified for the job.
True
Consistent with fact or reality; not false or erroneous
The true cost.
Truth
The reality of a situation
The truth is, she respects your work.
True
Not counterfeit; real or genuine
True gold.
Truth
A statement proven to be or accepted as true
Truths about nature.
True
Reliable; accurate
A true prophecy.
Truth
Fidelity to an original or standard
The truth of the copy.
True
Faithful, as to a friend, vow, or cause; loyal.
Truth
(Logic) The positive (true) truth-value.
True
(Archaic) Truthful, honest, or trustworthy.
Truth
True facts, genuine depiction or statements of reality.
The truth is that our leaders knew a lot more than they were letting on.
True
Sincerely felt or expressed; unfeigned
True grief.
Truth
Conformity to fact or reality; correctness, accuracy.
There was some truth in his statement that he had no other choice.
True
Rightful; legitimate
The true heir.
Truth
The state or quality of being true to someone or something.
Truth to one's own feelings is all-important in life.
True
Exactly conforming to a rule, standard, or pattern
Trying to sing true B.
Truth
(archaic) Faithfulness, fidelity.
True
Accurately shaped, fitted, or placed
Are the wheels true?.
Truth
(obsolete) A pledge of loyalty or faith.
True
Determined with reference to the earth's axis, not the magnetic poles
True north.
Truth
That which is real, in a deeper sense; spiritual or ‘genuine’ reality.
The truth is what is.
Alcoholism and redemption led me finally to truth.
True
Quick and exact in sensing and responding
A true ear.
Truth
(countable) Something acknowledged to be true; a true statement or axiom.
Hunger and jealousy are just eternal truths of human existence.
True
(Computers) Indicating one of two possible values taken by a variable in Boolean logic or a binary device.
Truth
Topness; the property of a truth quark.
True
Unswervingly; exactly
The archer aimed true.
Truth
(games) In the game truth or dare, the choice to truthfully answer a question put forth.
When asked truth or dare, he picked truth.
True
So as to conform to a type, standard, or pattern.
Truth
To assert as true; to declare; to speak truthfully.
True
Proper alignment or adjustment
Out of true.
Truth
To make exact; to correct for inaccuracy.
True
(of a statement) Conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct.
This is a true story.
Truth
To tell the truth.
True
As an ellipsis of "(while) it is true (that)", used to start a sentence
True, I have only read part of the book, but I like it so far.
Truth
The quality or being true; as: - (a) Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been; or shall be.
True
Conforming to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate.
A true copy;
A true likeness of the original
Truth
Conformity to rule; exactness; close correspondence with an example, mood, object of imitation, or the like.
Plows, to go true, depend much on the truth of the ironwork.
True
(logic) Of the state in Boolean logic that indicates an affirmative or positive result.
"A and B" is true if and only if "A" is true and "B" is true.
Truth
That which is true or certain concerning any matter or subject, or generally on all subjects; real state of things; fact; verity; reality.
Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor.
I long to know the truth here of at large.
The truth depends on, or is only arrived at by, a legitimate deduction from all the facts which are truly material.
True
Loyal, faithful.
He’s turned out to be a true friend.
Truth
A true thing; a verified fact; a true statement or proposition; an established principle, fixed law, or the like; as, the great truths of morals.
Even so our boasting . . . is found a truth.
True
Genuine; legitimate, valid.
This is true Parmesan cheese.
The true king has returned!
Truth
The practice of speaking what is true; freedom from falsehood; veracity.
If this will not suffice, it must appearThat malice bears down truth.
True
Used in the designation of group of species, or sometimes a single species, to indicate that it belongs to the clade its common name (which may be more broadly scoped in common speech) is restricted to in technical speech, or to distinguish it from a similar species, the latter of which may be called false.
True spiders
Truth
Righteousness; true religion.
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.
He that doeth truth cometh to the light.
True
Fair, unbiased, not loaded.
Truth
A fact that has been verified;
At last he knew the truth
The truth is the he didn't want to do it
True
(of a literary genre) based on actual historical events.
Truth
Conformity to reality or actuality;
They debated the truth of the proposition
The situation brought home to us the blunt truth of the military threat
He was famous for the truth of his portraits
He turned to religion in his search for eternal verities
True
(of shooting, throwing etc) Accurately.
This gun shoots true.
Truth
A true statement;
He told the truth
He thought of answering with the truth but he knew they wouldn't believe it
True
(archaic) Truthfully.
Truth
The quality of nearness to the truth or the true value;
He was beginning to doubt the accuracy of his compass
The lawyer questioned the truth of my account
True
(uncountable) The state of being in alignment.
Truth
United States abolitionist and feminist who was freed from slavery and became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and for the rights of women (1797-1883)
True
Truth.
Truth
Absolute reality or ultimate reality.
Philosophers have long debated the nature of truth.
True
A pledge or truce.
Truth
Sincerity; integrity
The truth of his intentions.
True
To straighten (of something that is supposed to be straight).
He trued the spokes of the bicycle wheel.
True
To make even, level, symmetrical, or accurate, align; adjust.
We spent all night truing up the report.
True
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.
True
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.
True
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.
True
In accordance with truth; truly.
True
Proper alignment; the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment;
Out of true
True
Make level, square, balanced, or concentric;
True up the cylinder of an engine
True
Consistent with fact or reality; not false;
The story is true
It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true
The true meaning of the statement
True
Not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin;
Real mink
True gold
True
Conforming to definitive criteria;
The horseshoe crab is not a true crab
Pythagoras was the first true mathematician
True
Accurately placed or thrown;
His aim was true
He was dead on target
True
Expressing or given to expressing the truth;
A true statement
Gave truthful testimony
A truthful person
True
Worthy of being depended on;
A dependable worker
An honest working stiff
A reliable source of information
He was true to his word
I would be true for there are those who trust me
True
Not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed;
Genuine emotion
Her interest in people was unfeigned
True grief
True
Rightly so called;
True courage
A spirit which true men have always admired
A true friend
True
Determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles;
True north is geographic north
True
In tune; accurate in pitch;
A true note
True
Accurately fitted; level;
The window frame isn't quite true
True
Reliable as a basis for action;
A true prophesy
True
As acknowledged;
True, she is the smartest in her class
True
In accord with reality, fact, or truthfulness.
True
To position (something) so as to make it balanced, level, or square
Trued up the long planks.
True
Accurate; following a path toward the target.
True
(of a mechanical part) Correctly aligned or calibrated, without deviation.
Is my bike wheel true? It feels unsteady.
True
Having a legally established claim;
The legitimate heir
The true and lawful king
Common Curiosities
How do you use "true" in a sentence?
"True" is an adjective, as in "That statement is true."
What's the opposite of "true"?
The opposite of "true" is "false."
Is "truth" always objective?
Not necessarily; truth can be subjective based on personal beliefs or perspectives.
What does "ring true" mean?
It means something seems or feels genuine or believable.
Can there be multiple truths about a situation?
Yes, situations can have multiple perspectives or facets, each with its own truth.
Can something be "true" but not the "truth"?
Yes, a statement can be accurate ("true") in a given context but might not represent the broader or complete "truth."
Can "truth" and "true" be used interchangeably?
No, they serve different grammatical purposes: one's a noun, the other's an adjective.
What part of speech is "truth"?
"Truth" is a noun.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Sweater vs. Jacket
Next Comparison
Supplementary vs. ComplementaryAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
