I. ˈtrü adjective
( usually truer -üə(r); -u̇(ə)r, -u̇ə ; usually truest -üə̇st)
Etymology: Middle English trew, trewe, from Old English trēowe faithful, trustworthy; akin to Old High German gi triuwi faithful, trustworthy, Old Norse tryggr, Gothic triggws faithful, trustworthy, Old Irish dreb certain, Old Prussian druwis faith, Lithuanian drūtas strong, thick, Sanskrit dāruṇa hard, dāru wood — more at tree
1.
a. : steady, firm, and dependable in allegiance or devotion to a loved one, friend, leader, group, or cause : not false or perfidious
his musical idiom was unique, and by remaining true to it, he expressed himself with the utmost clarity — J.D.Cook
all true men were needed to save the country — Shelby Foote
specifically : steadfast in observing marriage or other vows
a lover absolutely true in act and word and thought — H.O.Taylor
b. : honest , just , upright
he was absolutely true , genuinely square in his relations to those about him — W.A.White
c. archaic : truthful , veracious
dare to be true ; nothing can need a lie — George Herbert
2.
a.
(1) : conformable to fact : in accordance with the actual state of affairs : not false or erroneous : not inaccurate
mathematics, I thought, had a better chance of being true than anything else that passed as general knowledge — Bertrand Russell
it is true that there is an underlying intention to keep patronage alive — Herbert Read
(2) : conformable to nature, reality, or an original : accurate in delineating or expressing the essential elements
fiction is truer than history, because it goes beyond the evidence — E.M.Forster
specifically : describing actual events that happened
a true story
b.
(1) : being on a level transcending phenomenal or everyday existence : ideal
nobler ideas — truer because they are more in harmony with man's situation in the universe — Liston Pope
the same event can be said to be true for faith but untrue for science — W.R.Inge
appropriate to the inward search and responsive to true values — Pietro Belluschi
(2) : being more genuinely characteristic of or operative in than manifest motives or appearances : essential
the party's principles and policies, rather than its actual social composition, should be the criterion of its true nature — N.D.Palmer & South CarolinaLeng
a better understanding of the true motives in human behavior — Printers' Ink
c. : being that which is the case rather than what is believed, assumed, or claimed
the true dimension of the world refugee problem is clearly being ignored or sidestepped — Gertrude Samuels
sent her back to bed without telling her the president's true condition — Time
d.
(1) : consistent with expectation or previous performance
remains true to its background of cattle barons — American Guide Series: Texas
(2) : confirmed by later experience or investigation
the lawyer's premonition was true — Leo Marx
3.
a. : properly so called: as
(1) : void of deceit : sincere , unfeigned
true love
(2) : not sham, counterfeit, or adulterated : genuine
returned to the true faith
expect to make true and rapid progress in civil rights — D.D.Eisenhower
(3) : being essentially what it is called
the true coastline was … 140 kilometers from the apparent coastline — Valter Schytt
the true stomach, the abomasum, forms only about one seventh to one tenth of the total capacity of the ruminant stomach — S.J.Watson
(4) : designed or functioning in a manner regarded as essential to meeting a standard
none of these institutions could be regarded as a true university because none had a faculty capable of examining for the higher degrees — J.B.Conant
a true textbook is one especially prepared for the use of pupil and teacher — Textbooks in Education
b.
(1) : possessing all the fundamental characters of and belonging to the same natural group as
a lizard is a true reptile
a whale is a true but not a typical mammal
(2) : typical
the true cats may be distinguished from fossil allies by characters of the dentition
4.
a. : such as it should be : proper , fitting
facts presented in their true order and bearing
b.
(1) : legitimate , rightful
the true and legal successors of the old régime — Geographical Journal
(2) : related by blood
would a true child always take precedence of an adopted child — Notes & Queries on Anthropology
5. : that can be relied on : trustworthy
heard by true telling that you have money and means — Augusta Gregory
claim that his polls are a true representation of the opinions of the whole nation — Current Biography
specifically : determined with respect to a statistical population rather than a sample
prefer the narrow range with bias to a truer average with wider dispersed values — Photogrammetric Engineering
6.
a. : placed, fitted, or formed accurately
the blocks of granite were so true that practically no mortar was used — American Guide Series: Nevada
b. : comformable to a standard, rule, or pattern : exact , accurate , correct
supply the disposal agency with the originals or true copies of all documents — U.S. Code
singing on true pitch
c. : molded by environment, family, or culture and marked by similar attitudes and characteristics
a true product of his age, being neither more skeptical nor more credulous than any other — J.A.Rushing
a true child of the rising West — H.E.Starr
d. : best fitting one's aptitudes or interests
found his true vocation after many false starts
7.
a. : reliable or accurate in function : exact
the machine is truer than the hand — Edward Bellamy
b. : accurate, quick, or complete in measuring, grasping, or comprehending fact
a true understanding of our heritage — W.R.Steckel
whose turns and rhythms of speech have been caught by a true ear — B.R.Redman
imagination is truer than reason is — O.S.J.Gogarty
8. : related to a fixed point ; specifically : determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles
true north
true west
9. : logically necessary : universally valid
10. : narrow , restricted , strict
a how-to-do-it booklet in the truest sense of the word — Mary S. Switzer
11. : corrected for error — compare true altitude
Synonyms: see faithful , real
II. noun
( -s )
1. : something that is true : ultimate truth : reality — usually used with the
2. : the quality or state of being accurate (as in alignment or adjustment) — used in the phrases in true and out of true
the rail level may sag out of true — O.S.Nock
III. transitive verb
( trued ; trued ; trueing also truing ; trues )
: to make level, square, balanced, or concentric : bring or restore to a desired mechanical accuracy or form
trued an engine cylinder that had got out of round by boring it oversize
trued an unbalanced grinding wheel with a dressing diamond
repaired a worn housing by mounting it on centers in a lathe and taking a light trueing cut
trues up a fixture with the machine spindle by using a dial indicator
IV. adverb
( usually -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English trewe, from trewe, adjective, true
1. : in accordance with fact or reality : truthfully , honestly
your childish lips spoke truer than you suspected — Rosa Luxemburg
2.
a. : without variation from path or position : in true : exactly , accurately
the bullet flew straight and true
the doors … still hang perfectly true — American Guide Series: Maryland
— often used as an interjection for emphasis or as a signal of confirmation, admission, or endorsement of a fact
true , there was a blot on the escutcheon of that lady — W.S.Gilbert
b. : without change
a variety that comes true from seed
: without variation from or of type
genuine mutations usually breed true