truthlikeness.

How closely a statement, description, or theory matches the truth, even when it is not entirely correct.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• the truthlikeness of a theory
• greater truthlikeness

On the page

The revised model gained truthlikeness by accounting for observations its predecessor ignored.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: evidence, evaluation, inference. Commonness: uncommon.