Truth

The truth is what is true. It may be everything that is true (reality) or just a part of it (a fact). It may also be a statement that is true: a truth. Things or statements that are not true are untrue or false. True things exist (or have existed); false things do not (or never have).

Aristotle said: "To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true."^[1] However, a statement may be about how things once were; this would be a true statement if it is clear that it is not a statement about how things are now. Most often, the tense of the verb will indicate this, but there may be other ways in which the statement is qualified: for example, by saying when the statement was true.

Truth is a noun, and the corresponding adjective is true. The word true also functions as a noun, a verb and an adverb. The English word truth is from Old English tríewþ, tréowþ, trýwþ, Middle English trewþe.

Most of the discussion on truth is about one of two things:

1. How to find out whether a statement (a proposition or claim) is true
2. How to find the truth when presented with a particular question or problem

Many philosophers have given opinions on these issues.

1. ↑ David, Marion (2005). "Correspondence Theory of Truth" in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy