n.
Pronunciation: ' trü
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: tru · er ; tru · est
Etymology: Middle English trewe, from Old English tr ē owe faithful; akin to Old High German gi triuwi faithful, Old Irish derb sure, and probably to Sanskrit d ā ru ṇ a hard, d ā ru wood ― more at TREE
Date: before 12th century
1 a : STEADFAST , LOYAL b : HONEST , JUST c archaic : TRUTHFUL
2 a (1) : being in accordance with the actual state of affairs < true description> (2) : conformable to an essential reality (3) : fully realized or fulfilled <dreams come true > b : IDEAL , ESSENTIAL c : being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed <the true dimension of the problem> d : CONSISTENT < true to character>
3 a : properly so called < true love> <the true faith> <the true stomach of ruminant mammals> b (1) : possessing the basic characters of and belonging to the same natural group as <a whale is a true but not a typical mammal> (2) : TYPICAL <the true cats>
4 : LEGITIMATE , RIGHTFUL <our true and lawful king>
5 a : that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately b : conformable to a standard or pattern : ACCURATE
6 : determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles < true north>
7 : logically necessary
8 : NARROW , STRICT <in the truest sense>
9 : corrected for error
– true · ness noun