verism

1 of 3

noun (1)

ve·​rism ˈvir-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce verism (audio) ˈver- How to pronounce verism (audio)
: artistic use of contemporary everyday material in preference to the heroic or legendary especially in grand opera
verist
ˈvir-ist How to pronounce verism (audio)
ˈver-
noun or adjective
veristic
vir-ˈi-stik How to pronounce verism (audio)
ver-
adjective

verist

2 of 3

noun (2)

ve·​rist -rə̇st How to pronounce verist (audio)
plural -s
: one who practices or advocates verism

verist

3 of 3

adjective

"
variants or veristic
və̇ˈristik How to pronounce verist (audio)
: having the qualities or character of verism

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Italian verismo, from vero "true" (going back to Latin vērus) + -ismo -ism — more at very entry 2

Noun (2)

Italian verista, from vero true + -ista -ist

Adjective

verist from French vériste, from Italian verista verist, noun; veristic from verist entry 1 + -ic

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of verism was in 1892

Rhymes for verism

See All Rhymes for verism

Browse Nearby Words

verisimilous
verism
verismo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Verism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verism. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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