Which statement expresses the meaning of the phrase 'Veritas est adaequatio rei et intellectus'?

• A. Truth is what is useful
• B. Truth is the conformity of the thing and the intellect
• C. Truth is what the majority agrees on
• D. Truth is a belief held by many

Answer: (B)

Truth is the mind’s correct reflection of how things really are. Veritas est adaequatio rei et intellectus expresses that truth arises when the intellect’s understanding matches the actual state of things. “Rei” is the thing or reality, and “intellectus” is the knowing mind; “adaequatio” signals a proper fit or correspondence. So a belief is true precisely when it aligns with the way the thing itself stands in reality. For example, the statement that water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius at sea level is true only if that fact corresponds to how water actually behaves in that environment. The idea here is about accuracy of our understanding with reality, not usefulness or popularity—truth is not determined by what is useful or by what most people believe, but by whether the belief mirrors the world.