Truthful

/ˈtruːθfəl/

adjectivemedium📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

1

Adhering to facts; expressing the truth; honest.

/ˈtruːθfəl/

adjectivepositivemedium
General

Being in accordance with fact or reality.

She gave a truthful answer to the difficult question.

💡 Simply: Being truthful means you always say what's real, no matter what. Like when you tell your mom you ate the cookie even though she didn't see you!

👶 For kids: Telling the truth.

More Examples

2

The witness was praised for her truthful testimony.

3

It's important to be truthful in all your dealings with others.

4

The company published a truthful report about its environmental impact.

How It's Used

General

"He is known for being a truthful person."

Legal

"The witness provided a truthful account of the events."

Idioms & expressions

truth be told

Used to introduce a statement that may be surprising or that one might have been reluctant to say.

"Truth be told, I didn't enjoy the movie very much."

From Middle English *trowtheful*, equivalent to 'truth' + '-ful'.

The word 'truthful' has been used consistently throughout history to describe someone or something that is honest and in accordance with facts, as can be seen in religious and legal texts.

Memory tip

Think of someone always telling the TRUTH, making them TRUTHFUL.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"conformity with fact or reality"

truthful accounttruthful testimonytruthful answertruthful persontruthful information

Common misspellings

truthfull

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written