truth

/tru:T/ noun

1 TRUE FACTS the truth the true facts about something, as opposed to what is untrue, imagined, or guessed

(+ about): We never found out the truth about Mike's past. | tell the truth: How can we be sure that she's telling the truth? | be the truth: It's the truth. She really did it. | get to the truth (=find out what really happened): Only after several days of questioning did the police finally get to the truth. | the truth of the matter: Reforms were promised, but the truth of the matter is that nothing has changed.

2 BEING TRUE (U) the state or quality of being true: Do you think there's any truth in these rumours? | a grain of truth (=a small amount of truth): There wasn't a grain of truth in what he said.

3 IMPORTANT IDEAS (countable usually plural) formal an important fact or idea that is accepted as being true: the fundamental truths about mankind

4 to tell (you) the truth spoken used when giving your personal opinion or admitting something: Well, to tell you the truth, I've never really liked her.

5 if (the) truth be known used when telling someone the real facts about a situation, or your real opinion: If the truth be known, that was the main reason why we left.

6 nothing could be further from the truth used to say that something is definitely not true

7 the gospel truth if you think something is the gospel truth, you believe completely that it is true: I thought everything my teachers told me was the gospel truth.

8 in (all) truth old-fashioned in fact; really: In truth, I did not mind whether we went or not.

9 the truth will out old-fashioned used to say that even if you try to stop people from knowing something, they will find out in the end

—see also: half­truth, home truths home 3 (6), the moment of truth moment (11)