Very
/ˈvɛri/noun
Used to emphasize the degree or truth of something; extremely or truly.
Did you know?In Middle English, *very* could mean “true” or “genuine,” from Latin *verus* (“true”), the same root behind words like *verify* and *verdict*—language built on truth as authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*u̯er-
“to trust, believe, or be true”
Latin
Latin
verus
“true, genuine, real”
Old French
Old French
verai
“true, genuine”
Middle English
English
very
“true, actual, genuine”
Modern English
English
very
“used as an intensifier: extremely, truly”