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What is truth
Executive summary
Truth is commonly defined in dictionaries as the real facts, the body of real things or the quality of being true — essentially “what is the case,” according to leading lexica [1] [2]. Different public uses — legal rights to know, religious or rhetorical uses, and idioms — show the word operates as a descriptive claim, a moral/communal expectation, and an emotional or rhetorical device [3] [4] [5].
1. What dictionaries say: truth as fact and actuality
Major dictionaries frame “truth” primarily as the objective content of reality: Cambridge defines it as “the quality of being true” and “the real facts about a situation” [1] [6]; Merriam‑Webster says it is “the body of real things, events, and facts” or “the state of being the case” [2]. Collins likewise highlights truth as “the quality of being true, genuine, actual, or factual,” showing lexical consensus that truth names correspondence with fact or actuality [7].
2. Truth in public life: rights, investigations, and accountability
The United Nations frames a specific public meaning — the “right to the truth” — tied to gross human‑rights violations: it is the right to know “the full and complete truth” about what happened, who was involved, and why, and implies state duties to investigate and remedy [5]. That institutional use treats truth less as abstract philosophy and more as a procedural demand tied to justice and accountability [5].
3. Truth as rhetoric, devotion and idiom
Everyday language and religious discourse use “truth” for emphasis and conviction. Cambridge records idioms like “God’s truth” to stress completeness or honesty, and phrases such as “moment of truth” to mark a decisive test [3] [4]. Devotional writing likewise treats truth as moral commitment and doctrinal fidelity, showing a normative, faith‑based sense distinct from the purely factual definitions [8].
4. How uses diverge: facts, beliefs, and persuasive claims
The sources show two broad, competing uses: an evidential sense (truth = facts, events, actuality) and a normative/communal sense (truth as honesty, commitment, revealed doctrine). Dictionaries emphasize the first [1] [2] [7], while the UN and religious outlets emphasize the second — the societal, legal or moral consequences of knowing or standing by truth [5] [8]. Both are legitimate; disagreement arises when people conflate factual claims with moral authority or personal conviction.
5. Common confusions and why they matter
Language entries and contemporary usage point to common confusions: “truth” as a reportable fact versus “truth” as “my truth” or moral certainty [2] [9]. The UN’s emphasis on “full and complete truth” in rights contexts illustrates why clarity matters: in legal or human‑rights settings, truth is demanded as public, investigable fact, not merely personal belief [5]. Conversely, idioms and religious language show how truth can be invoked to persuade or bind a community [4] [8].
6. What the provided sources do not cover
Available sources do not mention philosophical theories of truth in depth (correspondence, coherence, pragmatic theories), empirical social‑science work on how people assess truth, nor debates about post‑truth media ecosystems. Those topics exist in wider literature but are not present in the current reporting set (not found in current reporting).
7. Practical takeaways for readers
If you ask “what is truth?” start by specifying the register: do you mean factual truth about events (dictionary and legal usage), moral or religious truth (devotional or rhetorical usage), or the social‑psychological experience of believing something is true? Dictionaries provide a baseline definition — truth as facts or actuality — while organizations like the UN show how that baseline becomes an enforceable public right when lives and justice are at stake [1] [2] [5].
Sources cited: Cambridge Dictionary entries on “truth” and idioms [1] [6] [3] [4], Merriam‑Webster and Collins definitions [2] [7], United Nations on Right to Truth [5], devotional usage example [8], and commentary on journalistic/personal uses [9].