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verisimilis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word verisimilis

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Cicero
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*weh₁-ro-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [weː.riːˈsɪ.mɪ.lɪs], [weː.rɪˈsɪ.mɪ.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ve.riˈs̬iː.mi.lis][1]

Forms

vērī̆similis (neuter vērī̆simile, comparative vērī̆similior, superlative vērī̆simillimus, adverb vērī̆similiter); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is the univerbation of ⟨vērī similis⟩ “like the truth”, the genitive of vērus “true” with similis “like”.[1][2] Lewis & Short and Lewis prefer the spelling ⟨vērī similis⟩.[2][3] De Vaan traces ⟨vērus⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *weh₁-ro- (“true”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot cites Cicero, and Caesar has quod est magis vērī simile “which is more likely”.[5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant probable, likely, plausible, and Cicero speaks of ōrācula vērī similiōra “more credible oracles”.[5][7]

British Medieval Latin used it for consistent with the facts, plausible, likely, and as a noun for verisimilitude.[8] Its noun vērīsimilitūdō gave English verisimilitude about 1600.[9]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.[5][6]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar has magis vērī simile.[5][6]
  • c. 1600 – English verisimilitude is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Probable, likely, plausible.[5][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: American Book Company
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b Simpson, D. P. (1959), Cassell's New Latin Dictionary, London: Cassell
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Verisimilis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/verisimilis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·