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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

truther en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈtɹuːθə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈtɹuθɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From truth + -er (occupational suffix) or + -er (“supporter”). For sense 2, directly from name of the 9/11 Truth movement.

Meanings

  1. (US, colloquial) Someone who tells the truth.
    • A liar can't begin to start the riots a truther can. 1915 July 14, Daily Leader:
  2. (US, colloquial) Someone who believes that the US government was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
    • The Iranian president is even a "truther," insisting that there was a hidden hand behind Sept. 11, 2001. "Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services — or their extensive infiltration?" he mused in the letter to Bush. 2009 September 20, David Ignatius, “Reading Iran by the Letter”, in The Washington Post:
    • [signed] 9/11 Truther 2005 February 14, "Gold9472", “BREAKING NEWS: Dick Cheney Behind 9/11 Attacks - MUST READ - PLEASE”, in talk.politics.theory (Usenet), retrieved 29 Jan 2019, message-ID <b3feba8653cd9959ed2080c10a1ed1d0@localhost.talkaboutgovernment.com>:
    • Therefore, virtually every press release or statement about 9/11 should include a reference to the poll to show people that many Americans are 9/11 truthers who scoff at the 9/11 Commission as a fraud and that demand a real 9/11 investigation. 2006, George Washington, Social Proof, George Washington's Blog, 26 May
  3. (broadly) A conspiracy theorist who does not believe the accepted story about some significant event, fact, etc.
    • For instance, "truthers" who believe in a US government conspiracy to destroy the pentagon 2013, D. Wittkower, Philip K. Dick and Philosophy:
    • I am calling your attention to it because I think that we JFK truthers may be able to use this film to our advantage. 2014, Ralph Cinque, “A review of the trailer of James Lambert's new film”, in alt.assassination.jfk (Usenet):
    • Rather, believers of this conspiracy theory (known as Sandy Hook “truthers”) propose that the entire event might have been staged by Homeland Security and FEMA [2014, Lori Badura, Tell It Like It Isn't, page 226:
  4. (humorous, slang) An advocate, especially for a headcanon.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
troofer alternative lexicographic
truthers Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

trutherism

Hypernyms

conspirophile · conspiracy theorist

Relateds

denier · deather · occupier · birther · anti-vaxxer · prepper · flat-earther

Synonyms

truthteller · truthsayer