What Is Verisimilitude
(pronounced VAIR-ih-sih-MILL-ih-tude) simply means ‘the quality of resembling reality.’ A work of art, or any part of a work of art, has verisimilitude if it seems realistic. The word verisimilitude is derived from the Latin words verum and similis meaning “truth” and “similar.”
The definition of verisimilitude is the semblance of truth. A work of fiction although made up with elements of fiction has verisimilitude when portrays situations, dialogue, and characters in a way that seems authentic and truthful. When using verisimilitude in writing, the goal is to be credible and convincing. There are two types of verisimilitude in fiction.
Cultural verisimilitude:
This refers to the overall ‘believability’ of a work of fiction in the context of “real life” in the “real world.” For example, any novel that faithfully portrays the real world, regardless of time period or location, is said to have cultural verisimilitude.
Generic verisimilitude
This refers to the overall ‘believability’ of a work of fiction in the context of its own genre. For example, a fantasy novel that portrays an imaginary world using conventions of the fantasy genre feels real to the reader is said to have generic verisimilitude.
Example:
- The following books provide examples of how writers can finely balance reality and imagination, and transport their readers to amazingly believable worlds.
- Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (2007): What if a Jewish state had been established in Alaska?
- Ben Winters, Underground Airlines (2016): What if slavery had never ended in America?
- J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series resemble real British boarding school life.