Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Consistent with fact or reality; not false: Conforming to what is real or actual.
   • Accurately fitted, aligned, or placed: Being in the correct position, form, or alignment.
   • Genuine; not pretended: Sincerely felt or expressed; authentic.
   • Loyal; faithful: Steadfast in allegiance or devotion.
   • Legitimate; rightful: Having a legally or morally established claim.
   • Accurate; precise: Conforming exactly to a standard, rule, or type.
   • Determined by earth's axis: Referring to geographic, rather than magnetic, direction.

2. Adverb:

   • Truthfully; accurately: In a manner that is consistent with fact or reality.
   • Without variation from type: In an accurate or precise manner.

3. Noun:

   • Proper alignment: The state of being in correct or exact position.

4. Verb:

   • To make level, square, or aligned: To adjust something so that it is in the correct position or form.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Is the story true? (Is the story consistent with facts?)
  • He is a true friend who stands by you. (He is a loyal and genuine friend.)
  • The window frame must be true for it to close properly. (The window frame must be accurately aligned.)
  • She is the true heir to the estate. (She is the legitimate heir.)
  • A true north direction is based on geography. (A north direction based on the earth's axis.)

• Adverb:

  • Tell me true, what happened? (Tell me truthfully.)
  • The arrow flew true to its target. (The arrow flew accurately to its target.)

• Noun:

  • The carpenter checked the door for true. (The carpenter checked if the door was in proper alignment.)

• Verb:

  • The mechanic will true the wheel. (The mechanic will adjust the wheel to its proper alignment.)

Advanced Usage

• "To hold true": To remain valid or applicable.

  • The same principle holds true for all cases. (The same principle remains valid.)

• "True to form": Behaving as is typical or expected.

  • True to form, he arrived late. (As was typical of him, he arrived late.)

• "True to life": Realistically representing actual life.

  • The characters in the novel are very true to life. (The characters are very realistic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Truly (adv): In a truthful, sincere, or accurate manner.
  • I am truly grateful for your help.
• Truth (n): The quality or state of being true; a fact or belief that is true.
  • He always seeks the truth.
• Truthful (adj): Telling or expressing the truth.
  • She gave a truthful account of the event.

Synonyms

• Accurate: Correct in all details.
• Genuine: Truly what something is said to be; authentic.
• Loyal: Giving or showing firm and constant support.
• Real: Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact.
• Valid: Having a sound basis in logic or fact.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• True up: To make something level, square, or properly aligned.
  • You need to true up the shelves before securing them. (You need to align the shelves correctly.)

Related Idioms

• "Dream come true": A wish or hope that becomes reality.
  • Winning the scholarship was a dream come true.
• "Too good to be true": So appealing or advantageous that it seems unlikely to be real.
  • The offer sounded too good to be true.
• "Ring true": To sound genuine or believable.
  • His explanation didn't quite ring true. (His explanation did not seem believable.)

Adjective

1. accurately fitted; level
   • the window frame isn't quite true
2. in tune; accurate in pitch
   • a true note
3. having a legally established claim
   • the legitimate heir
   • the true and lawful king
4. determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles
   • true north is geographic north
5. rightly so called
   • true courage
   • a spirit which true men have always admired
   • a true friend
6. not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed
   • genuine emotion
   • her interest in people was unfeigned
   • true grief
7. worthy of being depended on
   • a dependable worker
   • an honest working stiff
   • a reliable sourcSFLe of information
   • he was true to his word
   • I would be true for there are those who trust me
8. conforming to definitive criteria
   • the horseshoe crab is not a true crab
   • Pythagoras was the first true mathematician
9. expressing or given to expressing the truth
   • a true statement
   • gave truthful testimony
   • a truthful person
10. devoted (sometimes fanatically) to a cause or concept or truth
    • true believers bonded together against all who disagreed with them
11. accurately placed or thrown
    • his aim was true
    • he was dead on target
12. 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- B. Russell
    • the true meaning of the statement

Adverb

1. as acknowledged
   • true, she is the smartest in her class

Noun

1. proper alignment; the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment
   • out of true

Verb

1. make level, square, balanced, or concentric
   • true up the cylinder of an engine