The corpus record — Latin
verus
real, true
Generated live from the audited Latin corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.
Verus (VAY-rooss, "true, real") is one of the corpus's great common words: 12,723 occurrences across 331 works. It lives wherever prose reasons and testifies, and its top ledger is telling — Naturalis Historia ("Natural History") leads with 1,327, then Institutio Oratoria ("The Training of the Orator") with 655, De Medicina ("On Medicine") with 549, Ab urbe condita ("From the Founding of the City") with 432, In C. Verrem ("Against Verres") with 342, and Letters to Atticus with 332. Encyclopedia, rhetoric handbook, medical treatise, history, prosecution, correspondence: the word for what is true settles into the writing whose work is to sort fact from claim.
The two lexica agree on the sense and differ only on ancestry. Lewis & Short (A Latin Dictionary, 1879) glosses it "true, real, actual, genuine," and marks it the standing opposite of falsus and fictus — the false and the feigned. De Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin, Brill 2008) gives "real, true," and gathers the family the word threw off: verax, "truthful"; verare, "to speak the truth"; and, oddly, veratrum, the hellebore plant. On ancestry the record carries a matched pointer — de Vaan traces verus to Proto-Italic wero- and Proto-Indo-European ueh₁ro-, "true." Lewis & Short, writing earlier, calls the etymology "dubious" and reaches instead toward Sanskrit var, "to choose, wish."
The cited surfaces are all Livy, and all in his opening book — vera, vere, vero threading through the founding of Rome, where a historian must forever weigh legend against record: vero at Ab urbe condita book 1 (page 1), vera at book 1 (page 23), vere at book 1 (page 61). On this evidence the word does its heaviest work not in poetry but in the act of verification itself.
If truth is named only against the false, does the word describe a thing, or a judgment made about it?
Witnesses: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary · de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin
Densest 12 of 331 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.
1. verus — de Vaan
2. vērus — Lewis & Short
vērus, a, um, adj.etym. dub.; cf. Zend var, believe; Sanscr. var, choose, wish,
secerni blandus amicus a vero et internosci tam potest adhibitā diligentiā, quam omnia fucata et simulata a sinceris atque veris,Cic. Lael. 25, 95:
perspicere, quid in quāque re verum sincerumque sit,id. Off. 2, 5, 18:
vera an falsa,Ter. And. 5, 4, 19:
res vera (opp. ficta),Cic. Lael. 7, 24:
verus ac germanus Metellus,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66, § 147; cf.:
ipsus verus Harpax,Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 111:
vera mea uxor,id. As. 1, 1, 46 (dub.;
al. verum): color,Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 27:
vultus,id. And. 5, 1, 20:
via,Plaut. Cas. 2, 6, 17:
vera et perfecta amicitia,Cic. Lael. 6, 22:
vera, gravis, solida gloria,id. Phil. 5, 18, 50:
decus,id. Rep. 6, 23, 25:
causa verissima,id. Ac. 2, 4, 10:
virtus,Hor. C. 3, 5, 29:
dolores,id. Ep. 1, 17, 57:
amicus,id. A. P. 425:
nati,legitimate, Prop. 2, 9, 17:
verius ergo quid sit,Mart. 8, 76, 7:
ut verum esset, suā voluntate sapientem descendere, etc.,Cic. Rep. 1, 6, 11:
id si ita est, ut, etc.... sin autem illa veriora, ut, etc.,id. Lael. 4, 14.—
interesse oportet, ut inter rectum et pravum, sic inter verum et falsum,Cic. Ac. 2, 11, 33:
notionem veri et falsi nullam habere,id. ib.:
verum dicere,Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 89; Ter. And. 2, 6, 6:
si simile veri quid invenerim,Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66; id. Rep. 3, 5, 8:
si verum scire vis,id. Att. 12, 41, 3:
si verum quaerimus,id. Tusc. 2, 23, 55:
verum quidem si audire volumus,id. Brut. 73, 256:
verum non libenter audire,Mart. 8, 76, 8:
minor est tua gloria vero,Ov. H. 15 (16), 143:
ut quid hujus veri sit, sciam,Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 72; cf.:
non pervident quid sit in vero,actually, really, Lact. 1, 17, 1.—So the freq. construction of the gen. veri with similis, similiter, and similitudo (by many also joined together in one word, verisimilis, etc.):
narrationem jubent veri similem esse,Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 80:
id quod veri simile occurrit,id. Tusc. 2, 2, 5:
veri simillimum mihi videtur, quodam tempore, etc.,id. Inv. 1, 3, 4:
veri similiora,id. N. D. 1, 24, 66:
res similis veri,Liv. 26, 38, 9:
simillimum veri,Cic. Tusc. 5, 4, 11:
quod est magis verisimile,Caes. B. G. 3, 13:
veri similiter fingere,App. Mag. p. 293:
veri similius,id. ib. and p. 312; Tert. Apol. 16:
veri similitudinem sequi,Cic. Ac. 2, 33, 107; Sen. Ben. 4, 33, 2; genuine, Plin. 34, 7, 17, § 66; cf.
, in a reversed order: similitudo veri,Cic. Part. Or. 11, 40; id. Univ. 3:
res facit controversiam aut de vero aut de recto aut de nomine,respecting fact, id. Or. 34, 121:
nec procul a vero est, quod,from the truth, Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 27:
ex vero positum permansit Equiria nomen,id. F. 2, 859:
in vero esse,to be true, Lact. 1, 11, 31; 1, 17, 1:
teneras aures mordaci radere vero,Pers. 1, 107.—Plur.:
recta et vera loquere,Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 7:
vera dico,id. Am. 1, 1, 239; 2, 1, 12; 2, 2, 55 al.:
artem se tradere vera ac falsa dijudicandi,Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 157:
qui species alias veris ... caput (= alias ab iis quae verae sunt, Orell.),Hor. S. 2, 3, 208:
adjecta veris credibilis rerum imago,Quint. 4, 2, 123:
vis dicam tibi veriora veris?Mart. 6, 30, 6.
ah, Idnest verum?Ter. And. 4, 1, 5:
cum aliquid verum ac rectum esse dicitur,Cic. Leg. 3, 15, 34:
quod est rectum, verum quoque est,id. ib. 2, 5, 11:
omnia recta, vera,id. Tusc. 3, 27, 64:
lex vera atque princeps,id. Leg. 2, 4, 10:
quibus peritia et verum ingenium est,Sall. H. 1, 111 Dietsch:
ea, si vera existimare voles, maxume hortabuntur,id. ib. 4, 61, 3 ib.:
nil Grosphus nisi verum orabit et aequum,Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 23.—
neque verum esso, qui suos fines tueri non potuerint, alienos occupare,Caes. B. G. 4, 8:
(Cato) negat verum esse, allici benevolentiam cibo,Cic. Mur. 35, 74:
verum est, (agrum) habere eos, quorum sanguine ac sudore partus sit,Liv. 2, 48, 2; 3, 40, 11; 24, 48, 11;
28, 13, 7: metiri se quemque suo modulo ac pede, verum est,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 98; id. S. 2, 3, 212:
verius esse, Ti. Sempronio imperium habenti tradi exercitum quam legato,Liv. 35, 8, 6:
me verius unum Pro vobis foedus luere,Verg. A. 12, 694: si verum est, with acc. and inf., if the view is correct, Cic. N. D. 3, 31, 77; Liv. 30, 26, 7.— Rarely with ut:
praeclarum illud est, et, si quaeris, rectum quoque et verum, ut, etc.,right and just, Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 73:
si verum est, quod nemo dubitat, ut populus Romanus superarit, etc.,Nep. Hann. 1, 1.—
in senatu parsilla, quae vero pretium aut gratiam anteferebat,Sall. J. 16, 1.—
sum verus?Ter. And. 2, 5, 12:
vates,Ov. H. 16, 123:
Apollinis os,id. M. 10, 209:
judicium viri eruditissimi ac super ista verissimi,Plin. Ep. 9, 25, 2; 2, 9, 4; cf.:
quo viro nihil firmius, nihil verius,id. ib. 4, 22, 3:
verissimus et sapientissimus judex,most conscientious, Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 84.—Advv.
merito maledicas mihi, si id ita factum est: Verum haud mentior, resque uti facta, dico,Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 23; 1, 2, 22; Ter. And. prol. 4; id. Eun. 1, 2, 103; id. Heaut. 3, 3, 37:
in optimorum consiliis posita est civitatium salus: praesertim cum, etc.... Verum hunc optimum statum pravis hominum opinionibus eversum esse dicunt,Cic. Rep. 1, 34, 51:
quod ejus (Hermagorae) peccatum reprehendendum videtur, verum brevi,id. Inv. 1, 9, 12:
quae non dicunt, verum intellegi volunt,Quint. 8, 5, 12:
sed nos non, quid nobis utile, verum quid oratori necessarium sit, quaerimus,Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 254: ea sunt omnia non a naturā, verum a magistro, id. Mur. 29, 61; Verg. E. 3, 35.—
non modo agendo, verum etiam cogitando,Cic. Cael. 19, 45; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 66, § 161:
non solum naturā et moribus, verum etiam studio et doctrinā,id. Lael. 2, 6:
non ingrato tantum, verum etiam invido et crudeli animo,Just. 21, 6, 7:
servavit ab omni Non solum facto, verum opprobrio quoque turpi,Hor. S. 1, 6, 84: non modo ... verum ne ... quidem, not only not ... but not even, Cic. Rep. 3, 30, 42.—
non edepol nunc, ubi terrarum sim scio, si quis roget ... Ilicet, mandata eri perierunt una et Sosia, Verum certum'st confidenter hominem contra adloqui,Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 183:
deinde hoc vobis confirmo, etc.... verum quod ego laboribus, etc.... me persecuturum esse polliceor, etc.,Cic. Verr. 1, 17, 51: verum schemata le/cews duorum sunt generum, Quint. 9, 3, 2:
verum etiamsi quis summa desperet,id. 12, 11, 26:
verum veniat sane,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 31, § 76 et saep.—Strengthened by enim, vero, and (in class. prose) enimvero, but truly, but indeed:
verum enim, quando bene promeruit, fiat,Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 47: verum vero inter offam atque herbam, ibi vero longum intervallum est, Cato ap. Gell. 13, 17, 1:
verum hercle vero,Plaut. Curc. 3, 5:
si ullo in loco ejus provinciae frumentum tanti fuit, quanti, etc. Verum enim vero cum, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 194; so,
verum enim vero,id. de Or. 3, 14, 54 N. cr.; Sall. C. 20, 10; Liv. 4, 4, 8.—
exspectabantur Calendae Januariae, fortasse non recte. Verum praeterita omittamus,Cic. Phil. 5, 12, 31: verum quidem haec hactenus;
cetera quotiescumque voletis,id. Tusc. 3, 34, 84:
sed hoc nihil ad me ... Verum hoc (ut dixi) nihil ad me. Illud ad me, etc.,id. de Or. 2, 32, 139.—
eho, mavis vituperari falso, quam vero extolli?Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 21:
iste eum sese ait, qui non est, esse: et qui vero est negat,id. Capt. 3, 4, 35: Tox. Amplectere sis. Lemn. Ego vero, id. Pers. 5, 1, 12; cf. Curt. 6, 3, 5: As. Ego non novi adulescentem vostrum. St. Veron'? As. Serio, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 47:
veron' serio?id. Merc. 4, 1, 19:
itane vero obturbat?Ter. And. 5, 4, 23: Ch. Vah, gloriare evenisse ex sententiā? Sy. Non hercle vero, verum dico, id. Heaut. 4, 5, 18:
quod de domo scribis ... ego vero tum denique mihi videbor restitutus, si, etc.,Cic. Fam. 14, 2, 3; cf.
even at the beginning of a letter: ego vero cupio te ad me venire,I do really wish, id. ib. 14, 16, 10; so,
ego vero vellem,id. ib. 4, 6, 1:
cum effusis gaudio lacrimis cupere vero diceret, etc.,Liv. 27, 19, 12; Plin. Ep. 9, 20, 1.—
Esp., in apodosis, tum vero: postea quam ad causam dicendam ventum est, tum vero sine metu omnes erant, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 29, § 70; Sall. J. 94, 3; Stat. Th. 1, 412; cf.
tum, III. B. 1.—Ironically: sane quia vero hae mihi patent semper fores,Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 9:
multum vero haec eis jura profuerunt,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 47, § 124:
turpem vero actionem, etc.,id. Phil. 13, 11, 25:
egregiam vero laudem refertis,Verg. A. 4, 93.—With immo:
immo vero indignum facinus faxo ex me audies,Ter. And. 5, 2, 13. —
sed tu orationes nobis veteres explicabis? Vero, inquam, Brute,id. Brut. 87, 300:
tu vero, inquam, Tite,id. ib. 85, 292:
nos vero, inquit ille,id. Fin. 4, 28, 80: M. Cadere, opinor, in sapientem aegritudinem tibi dixisti videri. A. Et vero ita existimo, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 12.—With immo, nay rather: De. Quin tu mi argentum cedo. Ph. Immo vero uxorem tu cedo, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 43:
sed da mihi nunc, satisne probas? Immo vero et haec, etc.,Cic. Ac. 1, 3, 10:
immo vero, inquit, ii vivunt, qui, etc.,id. Rep. 6, 14, 14: S. Quid domi? pluresne praesunt negotiis tuis? L. Immo vero unus, inquit, id. ib. 1, 39, 61.—And, to strengthen negative answers, joined with minime: S. Quid? totam domum num quis alter, praeter te, regit? L. Minime vero, Cic. Rep. 1, 39, 61; 3, 32, 44; id. Ac. 1, 1, 2; id. Off. 3, 6, 29 al.—
odiose facis,take it though, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 139:
respice vero,id. Ep. 1, 1, 3:
ostende vero,id. ib. 5, 2, 58:
minue vero iram,Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 88.—
neque solum in tantis rebus, sed etiam in mediocribus vel studiis vel officiis, vel vero etiam negotiis contemnendum,Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 4:
quod cum tam multi homines audissent, statim ad me defertur: immo vero, ut quisque me viderat, narrabat,Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19:
nec vero jam meo nomine abstinent,id. Rep. 1, 3, 6:
neque vero id satis habuit,Nep. Epam. 4, 5.—
ne T. quidem Postumius contemnendus in dicendo: de re publicā vero non minus vehemens orator, quam bellator fuit,Cic. Brut. 77, 269:
non vero tam isti (sc. mortui sunt) quam tu ipse, nugator,id. Sen. 9, 27:
dixisti non auxilium mihi, sed me auxilio defuisse. Ego vero fateor hercule, quod viderim mihi auxilium non deesse, idcirco me illi auxilio pepercisse,id. Planc. 35, 86; id. Rep. 1, 7, 12:
ubi per exploratores Caesar certior factus est, tres jam copiarum partes Helvetios id flumen transduxisse, quartam vero partem citra flumen Ararim reliquam esse,Caes. B. G. 1, 12.—In transitions:
age vero ceteris in rebus quali sit temperantiā, considerate,Cic. Imp. Pomp. 14, 40:
nec vero tibi de versibus respondebo,id. Phil. 2, 8, 20.—
hoc quom fit, ibi non vere vivitur,Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 102 Fleck.:
honestum, quod proprie vereque dicitur, id in sapientibus est solis,Cic. Off. 3, 3, 13:
quis putare vere potest, etc.,id. Rep. 1, 17, 28:
vere ducere,id. ib. 1, 38, 60:
verene hoc memoriae proditum est? etc.,id. ib. 2, 15, 28:
immo, si vere volumus dicere, jam incohavit bellum,Liv. 41, 23, 13:
omnia vere vates locuta est,Verg. A. 6, 188:
vere an dolo,Spart. Sev. 5.—Comp.:
libentius quam verius,Cic. Mil. 29, 78:
Ligures latrones verius quam justi hostes,Liv. 40, 27, 10.—Sup.:
verissime loquor,Cic. Att. 5, 21, 7:
verissime dicere,id. Rep. 2, 4, 8.
6 of 12,723 attestations shown.
Latin text and lemmatization derived from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit), CC BY-SA 4.0. Lewis & Short (public domain) via Perseus. This derived data is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.