The first time I heard this word, a failed attempt at stealthy usage had been detected by a sizable proportion of the participants in an informal discussion during a philosophy club meeting.

It extremely hard to slip this word into a conversation without sounding like a smart ass.

I feel a lot better about the world knowing that there is a word that more or less means, "something similar to, but not necessarily the same as, the truth".

I wonder if there is a word to describe an idea that "appears to be, but is not actually, profound".

Comes in two types:

  • Cultural Verisimilitude - relates well to the common notion of something as defined in society

    e.g. The movie Bull Durham: the teams and atmosphere are captured well and accurately represent how Minor League Baseball life really is

  • Generic Verisimilitude - In a piece of literature, it fits well within its genre. That is, it feels like it belongs there, because it shares with other literary works the things that embody the genre itself

Ver`i*si*mil"i*tude (?), n. [L. verisimilitudo: cf. OF. verisimilitude. See Verisimilar.]

The quality or state of being verisimilar; the appearance of truth; probability; likelihood.

Verisimilitude and opinion are an easy purchase; but true knowledge is dear and difficult. Glanvill.

All that gives verisimilitude to a narrative. Sir. W. Scott.

 

© Webster 1913.

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