noun

verisimilitude

vair-ih-sih-MIL-ih-tood/ˌverɪsɪˈmɪlɪtuːd/

The appearance of being true or realistic.

The painted apple's verisimilitude makes it closely resemble the real fruit.

A lifelike painted apple on a flat canvas sits beside a real apple, convincing resemblance revealed by canvas edge.

Etymology

veriLatintruth

+similiLatinlike, resembling

+tudeLatinstate or quality

The pieces express a quality of “likeness to truth.” Verisimilitude therefore concerns how convincingly something resembles truth or reality, rather than whether it has been confirmed as true.

In context

MooLer51:09

in terms of verisimilitude when you cast an actor um and he looks the part that guy looks like I mean you believe you believe in that guy

EFAP #229 - A complete breakdown of Jurassic Park with Robert Meyer Burnett

More examples

The actors' casual gestures add verisimilitude to the scene.
Despite its dragons, the story achieves verisimilitude through believable characters.
Her invented excuse has enough verisimilitude to fool us.

Similar words

realism: Emphasizes faithful representation of life rather than apparent truth.
plausibility: Emphasizes what seems reasonable or possible, not necessarily lifelike.