Veraciousness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or habit of consistently speaking the truth and being honest
2. A characteristic marked by truthful and accurate expression without deception
3. The state of being truthful and candid in speech or behavior

Etymology: "Veraciousness" is simply "veracious" with the suffix "-ness" attached, a pattern English has used for centuries to turn adjectives into nouns describing a quality. The base adjective "veracious" is itself formed from the Latin "verax," meaning "truthful," built on "verus" ("true") plus a suffix for having a tendency toward something. So the word is a layered formation: a Latin root, an English adjective, and then a native English noun ending. The noun's meaning is direct. It names the state or quality of being veracious, that is, of being habitually truthful or accurate. Because "-ness" is productive and transparent, the word needs little explanation: anyone who knows "happiness" or "kindness" can read its structure at a glance, which is why it appears more often in formal writing than in speech, where "truthfulness" or "honesty" usually do the work instead.

Synonyms: truthfulness, honesty, integrity

Antonyms: dishonesty, falsehood