Vocabularium

Friday January 19, 2007 at 9:59 am

I discovered this word many moons ago while learning Latin.  I’ve always thought it a powerful term.

verisimilitude (ver·i·si·mil·i·tude): / ver uh si MIL i tood /
noun

(1) the semblance or appearance of being real or true; likelihood; probability
(2) something that has only the appearance of being real or true, as in a statement, proposition, or assertion that sounds believable but is not supported by the evidence

[From Latin verisimilitudo from verisimilis meaning "like the truth, verisimilar," from Latin veri (from verum meaning "true") + similis ("like").]

Usage: Fiction writers must strive for verisimilitude lest they alienate readers via contrivances that restrict suspension of disbelief.


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