ENGLISH
REFERENCE

truthful

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtɹuθfəɫ// UK //tɹˈuːθfəl// truth·ful

adj. honest and telling the facts as they really are. You use this to describe a person who does not lie or a statement that is correct.

adj. habitually speaking the truth or accurately representing the facts. Often used to describe both the character of a person and the veracity of a specific statement.


SIMPLE

She gave a truthful answer to the difficult question.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness promised to provide a truthful account of the events that took place on the night of the accident.

COMPLEX

While the marketing campaign was technically accurate, critics argued it was not entirely truthful because it omitted several key limitations of the product.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From truth + -ful. Piecewise doublet of trothful, from Middle English trouþeful.

Usage

Can be used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

Pitfall

He is a truth personHe is a truthful personLearners often use the noun 'truth' as an adjective instead of the correct adjectival form 'truthful'.

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