verisimilitude | Definition & Meaning for the SAT
🚀 VERISIMILITUDE most nearly means: (A) complexity; (B) ambiguity; (C) authenticity; (D) believability. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
ℹ️ Part of speech of verisimilitude
verisimilitude is a NOUN (usually uncountable, but possibly countable).
🗣️ Pronunciation of verisimilitude
verisimilitude is pronounced /ˌver.ɪ.sɪ.ˈmɪl.ɪ.tuːd/ or ver-ih-sih-MIL-ih-tood.
📚️ Definition of verisimilitude
The appearance of being true or real; the quality that makes something seem believable or realistic, even if it's fictional. Example: the verisimilitude of a historical novel.
📰 Examples
Here are some examples of verisimilitude:
The documentary's verisimilitude was so convincing that many viewers didn't realize it was actually a "mockumentary" until the credits rolled.
The special effects lacked verisimilitude, making the Godzilla look like a rubber toy rather than a fearsome beast. 🐉
Readers typically hope for verisimilitude in writing, ever in search of the blissful "willing suspension of disbelief for the moment."
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
D, believability. Explanations: A doesn't work; complexityrefers to being intricate or complicated, not appearing true. B is incorrect; ambiguity means having multiple possible meanings, which is the opposite of seeming clearly real. C is close but wrong; authenticity means actually being genuine, while verisimilitude is about appearing real, whether genuine or not.
One more thing before we go! I want to show an image that was famous in the 20th century—it shows a dog hearing the clearly-reproduced sound of “his master’s voice,” promoting the fidelity of the RCA recording equipment:
