Verisimilitude

Erin Staves

Definition

The appearance of being true or real Verisimilitude, in a narrow sense, is the

likeness or semblance of a narrative to reality, or to the truth. It comes from Latin: verum meaning truth and similis meaning similar. In a broader sense, verisimilitude refers to the believability of a narrative—the extent to which a narrative appears realistic, likely, or plausible (regardless of whether it is actually fictional or non-fictional).

An example of verisimilitude is the realistic plot or images of a movie that make it seem quite realistic.

The marketing for the original Superman movie suggested “You’ll believe a man can fly!” and as the audience we did. The world Superman inhabits establishes that he can fly and so feels true and ‘real’. The internal logic of the film is never compromised and so we happily accept what we see. In the climax of the film, Superman turns back time by flying the wrong way round the world so fast the world spins backwards. This idea is so preposterous it can barely be believed.