truthful

truthful — adjective

1. Someone who is truthful says what is correct and does not lie, and a truthful st

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Someone who is truthful says what is correct and does not lie, and a truthful statement or report contains only facts that match reality without false information.

Example

Wei gave a truthful answer to the police officer about what he had seen that night.

truthful + answer (collocation: truthful answer / report / statement)

Gabriel was truthful with his parents about failing the exam, and they respected his honesty.

truthful with [person] about [thing]

Common collocations
  • truthful answer
  • truthful statement
  • truthful report
  • truthful account
  • truthful person
Synonyms
  • honest

    broader term — includes moral integrity and fairness, not just truthfulness in speech

  • frank

    emphasizes direct and open expression, even when the topic is uncomfortable

  • candid

    suggests complete openness about personal or difficult matters, without holding back

  • sincere

    focuses on genuine inner belief rather than factual accuracy

Antonyms
  • dishonest

    intentionally deceptive or untruthful

  • untruthful

    direct opposite; less common than 'dishonest'

  • deceitful

    implies active intention to mislead others

Usage Note

Often used with 'about' (truthful about the details) or 'with' (truthful with someone). Can describe both a person's character ('a truthful child') and the accuracy of information ('a truthful statement').

Common Mistakes

She is a true person.
She is a truthful person.
'true' is not used to describe someone's character in this way; use 'truthful' or 'honest' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words relate to saying what is real or what one thinks, but they differ in emphasis. 'Truthful' focuses on factual accuracy — a truthful person does not lie or hide facts. 'Honest' is broader: it includes not lying but also acting fairly and with moral integrity. 'Frank' emphasizes directness and openness, often saying things that might be uncomfortable. 'Sincere' focuses on genuine inner feelings — a sincere person says what they truly believe. 'Candid' suggests complete openness, especially about personal or difficult matters. For example: 'The journalist gave a truthful account of the events.' 'She was frank about her lack of qualifications.' 'He offered a sincere apology for arriving late.' 'The review was a candid look at the restaurant's weaknesses.'

honest ↗frankcandidsincere ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • truthful answer
  • truthful statement
  • truthful report
  • truthful account
  • truthful person

Adverbs

  • completely truthful
  • entirely truthful
  • not entirely truthful

Phrases

  • to be perfectly truthful
  • to be quite truthful

Prepositions

  • truthful about
  • truthful with

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'truthful' was formed in English by adding '-ful' (meaning 'full of') to 'truth'. 'Truth' comes from Old English 'trēowþ', meaning 'faithfulness, loyalty, or honesty', and is related to the same root as 'true' and 'troth' (a pledge or promise). The word has been in use since the 16th century.