Truthbearer

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Truthbearer is a term used by philosophers and linguists to designate the sorts of things that may be either true or false. The term may be applied to propositions, sentences, statements, ideas, beliefs, and judgments, but not people or things. Different writers exclude one or more of these categories, or argue that some of them are true only in a derivative sense. For instance, since a judgment such as "X is true" depends on the existence of the statements "X", it may be regarded as true only in a derivative sense.

Other writers may add entities such as "Thoughts", "intuitions" and "utterances".

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 reasonably be 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.