Véracité

Véracité is a French noun meaning the quality of being true or faithful to reality. It covers both the truthfulness of statements (moral or epistemic honesty) and the accuracy or fidelity of information to the facts. Etymology: from Latin veracitas, from verax, meaning truthful, through Old French to modern French véracité. In common usage, véracité describes how closely propositions, data, or narratives correspond to actual states of affairs. Philosophically, it can refer to the virtue of telling the truth and to the reliability of a source.

In practice, véracité is assessed differently across domains. In science and journalism, it is linked to verifiable evidence, replicability, and source reliability; questions include whether data are accurate, properly reported, and free from manipulation. In everyday language, it can denote sincerity or honesty in speaking. Distinctions exist with related terms: véracité emphasizes fidelity to facts; exactitude highlights precision of measurement; vérité is the broader concept of truth; fiabilité refers to the trustworthiness of a source.

Challenges to véracité include biases, selective reporting, misinterpretation, and fake data. Practices to protect véracité include verification, peer review, data auditing, and transparent methodology. See also: vérité, vérification, fiabilité, exactitude, authenticité.