Truthbearer

Truthbearer is a term used by philosophers and linguists to designate entities that are either true or false and nothing else. Candidates include propositions, sentences, statements, ideas, beliefs, "thoughts", "intuitions" "utterances". and judgments but different writers exclude one or more of these, deny their existence or argue that they are true only in a derivative sense. For instance, since a sentence such as "X is true" depends on the existence of the sentence "X", it may be regarded as true only in a derivative sense.

"Truthbearer", in the context of modern philosophical discussion, is never applied to a person or group of persons; rather, the term is applied to the kinds of entities above because they are deemed specific enough to be reasonably subjected to a close analysis of whether or not they are true. Fictional forms of expression are usually regarded as false if interpreted literally, but may be said to bear a species of truth if interpreted suitably. Still other truthbearers may be judged true or false to a greater or lesser degree.