Word
veritable
Phoneticsver·i·ta·ble
US/ˈvɛɹɪtəbəɫ/
UK/vˈɛɹɪtəbəl/
Definition
adj. used to emphasize that something is so impressive or large that it is almost unbelievable. It is like saying 'real' or 'true' to make a description stronger.
adj. used as an intensifier to emphasize the figurative truth of a description, often before a metaphor. Typically used attributively before a noun.
Examples
“The garden was a veritable paradise of colorful flowers.”
“After the heavy rains, the small stream transformed into a veritable river that flooded the nearby fields.”
“The archive serves as a veritable gold mine for historians, containing thousands of previously unseen letters that detail the daily lives of ordinary citizens during the revolution.”
Examples
simple
“The garden was a veritable paradise of colorful flowers.”
contextual
“After the heavy rains, the small stream transformed into a veritable river that flooded the nearby fields.”
complex
“The archive serves as a veritable gold mine for historians, containing thousands of previously unseen letters that detail the daily lives of ordinary citizens during the revolution.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun to emphasize a metaphor.
Real-World Examples
“Early on, foldable screens had a veritable chasm running down the middle.” Etymology
From Middle French veritable, from Old French veritable, from Latin veritabilis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.