veridicus

Veridicus is a Latin adjective meaning truthful or veridical. In classical and medieval Latin it describes a person who tells the truth or a statement that is true. The term is used in religious, philosophical, and legal Latin to characterize credibility, reliability, or honesty.

Etymology and morphology: Veridicus is formed from verus “true” and the adjective suffix -dicus, yielding a sense of “truth-speaking.” It declines as a second-declension adjective. Typical forms include: masculine nom veridicus, gen veridici, dat veridico, acc veridicum, abl veridico; feminine nom veridica, gen veridicae, dat veridicae, acc veridicam, abl veridica; neuter nom veridicum, gen veridici, dat veridico, acc veridicum, abl veridico.

Usage: The adjective is used to describe people who speak the truth or statements that are credible. In Latin texts it can modify nouns such as veridica narratio “a veridical/n credible account” or veridicus miles “the truthful soldier.” In modern scholarly contexts, veridicus appears mainly within discussions of Latin language and is not common outside of Latin phrasing; in English, the corresponding term veridical is standard.

See also: veritas; veridical; veridicity.