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).
EXAMPLE
For those unaffiliated with the double-edged sword of Paul Verhoeven’s American films, Robocop might sound like a poorly titled schlock-fest. The reality however, is that this uber-violent comedy-thriller is an ingenious satire on the dangers of consumer culture and the evaporation of the people’s power by corporate interests.There are countless moments of absolute genius in this film, but perhaps one of the funniest has a malfunctioning product empty hundreds of rounds of ammunition into a senior executive to the point of near evaporation. The CEO’s horrified response upon seeing this ‘glitch’ occur:
“You call this a glitch? We’re scheduled to begin construction in 6 months. Your temporary setback could cost us 50 million dollars in interest payments alone!”
