History of Truthiness in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 23, 2026

Truthiness is the assertion of a statement's truth based on personal feelings or intuition, disregarding evidence, logic, or factual accuracy. It prioritizes subjective perception over objective reality. It can manifest as either an ignorant declaration of falsehoods or a calculated manipulation through propaganda to influence public opinion. The concept emphasizes the power of personal belief and emotional resonance in shaping perspectives, even in the face of contradictory information. It suggests a willingness to accept something as true because it *feels* right, irrespective of its actual validity.

2003: Colbert satirizes the decision to invade Iraq.

In 2003, Stephen Colbert satirized the decision to invade Iraq, applying the concept of "truthiness" to the event by highlighting the misuse of emotional appeal and "gut feeling" in socio-political discourse.

October 17, 2005: The Colbert Report pilot episode airs.

On October 17, 2005, American television comedian Stephen Colbert coined the term "truthiness" during the pilot episode of his political satire program, The Colbert Report, as part of a segment called "The Wørd."

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October 25, 2005: The New York Times discusses "truthiness"

On October 25, 2005, The New York Times ran its third article on The Colbert Report, titled "Bringing Out the Absurdity of the News", specifically discussing the segment on "truthiness", misreporting the word as "trustiness".

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November 1, 2005: The New York Times runs a correction.

On November 1, 2005, The New York Times issued a correction for misreporting "truthiness" as "trustiness" in a previous article. Colbert then took the Times to task for the error on the next episode of The Colbert Report.

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December 25, 2005: Truthiness is one of the words that captured the year's zeitgeist.

On December 25, 2005, The New York Times identified "truthiness" as one of nine words that captured the year's zeitgeist, in an article titled "2005: In a Word; Truthiness", crediting Stephen Colbert for drawing the most attention that year.

2005: Truthiness named Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society

In 2005, "truthiness" was named Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society, recognizing its cultural impact and relevance.

2005: Truthiness named Word of the Year

In 2005, The American Dialect Society announced that "truthiness" was its 2005 Word of the Year.

2005: Truthiness selected as one of the words that captured the spirit of the year.

In 2005, Truthiness was selected by The New York Times as one of nine words that captured the spirit of the year.

January 5, 2006: Anatoly Liberman discusses truthiness on public radio.

On January 5, 2006, etymology professor Anatoly Liberman discussed truthiness on public radio, predicting its inclusion in dictionaries within a couple of years.

January 6, 2006: Truthiness named Word of the Year by American Dialect Society

On January 6, 2006, the American Dialect Society announced "truthiness" as its 2005 Word of the Year, recognizing its cultural impact.

January 22, 2006: Frank Rich uses truthiness in column about Republican portrayals.

On January 22, 2006, The New York Times columnist Frank Rich used the term "truthiness" multiple times in a column titled "Truthiness 101: From Frey to Alito", crediting Colbert and discussing Republican portrayals of several issues, emphasizing how quickly the word had become a cultural fixture.

February 13, 2006: Newsweek article on The Colbert Report

On February 13, 2006, Newsweek featured an article titled "The Truthiness Teller" on The Colbert Report, recounting the history and impact of the word truthiness since Colbert's popularization of it.

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May 3, 2006: The New York Times publishes letters about White House Correspondents' Dinner

On May 3, 2006, The New York Times published two letters concerning the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner, where Stephen Colbert was the featured guest, under the headline "Truthiness and Power".

December 8, 2006: Colbert Interview with Charlie Rose.

During an interview on December 8, 2006, with Charlie Rose, Colbert discussed truthiness.

December 10, 2006: "Truthiness" selected as Merriam-Webster's 2006 Word of the Year.

On December 10, 2006, Merriam-Webster Dictionary selected "truthiness" as its 2006 Word of the Year based on a reader poll.

December 12, 2006: Colbert issues a new page for the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

On December 12, 2006, Colbert responded to truthiness not being in the 2006 edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Colbert issued a new page 1344 with the definition of truthiness and removing the word "try".

2006: Colbert at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

In 2006, Colbert, as the featured guest at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, used the definition of truthiness to describe President Bush's thought processes, receiving mixed reactions for his biting comedy tribute. The New York Times later called the speech the "defining moment" of the United States' 2006 midterm elections.

2006: Truthiness named Word of the Year by Merriam-Webster

In 2006, Merriam-Webster also named "truthiness" as its Word of the Year, further solidifying the term's widespread recognition and influence in the cultural landscape.

January 8, 2007: Colbert responds to being on the Banished Word List.

On January 8, 2007, Stephen Colbert responded to Lake Superior State University including "truthiness" on its "Banished Word List" by calling the university an "attention-seeking second-tier state university".

June 14, 2008: "Truthiness" featured in The New York Times crossword puzzle

On June 14, 2008, "truthiness" was featured as 1-across in The New York Times crossword puzzle.

2008: "Truthiness" restored to formal usage.

In 2008, "truthiness" was restored to formal usage by the List of Banished Words, in response to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

2008: Frank Rich references truthiness in connection with McCain's campaign.

In 2008, Frank Rich referenced truthiness in The New York Times, describing John McCain's presidential campaign strategy as enveloping the race in "a thick fog of truthiness," highlighting how repeated falsehoods aimed to create a bogus alternative reality, and noting the press's impotence at unmasking it.

December 2009: "Truthiness" included in BBC online magazine's important words of the 2000s.

In December 2009, the BBC online magazine included "Truthiness" in its selection of important words of the 2000s (decade), divided into five different categories.

2012: Harvard University's Berkman Center hosted symposium.

In 2012, Harvard University's Berkman Center hosted a two-day symposium at Harvard and MIT, "Truthiness in Digital Media", exploring "concerns about misinformation and disinformation" in new media.

2012: Study on truthiness of a claim

In 2012, a study was published by a group of students from three universities. The experiments showed that people are more likely to believe a claim is true regardless of evidence when a decorative photograph or irrelevant verbosity appears alongside the claim.

July 18, 2016: Colbert introduces the term "Trumpiness" on The Late Show.

On July 18, 2016, Colbert refreshed "truthiness" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, introducing the neologism "Trumpiness" to describe statements made by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, distinguishing it from truthiness by suggesting it doesn't even need to feel true.

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