gospel

To believe that something is absolutely true without any hesitation or reservations. When we're growing up, we take what our parents tell us for gospel. That's part of why teenagers are so rebellious, because they're just starting to realize their parents' fallibility. The beloved professor's opinions on the author are taken for gospel by his students.

Fig. the undeniable truth. The witness swore he was telling the gospel truth. I told my parents the gospel truth about how the vase broke.

to believe that something is certainly true His opinions on international issues are taken as gospel by his colleagues.

to believe that something is completely true You shouldn't accept as gospel everything you read in the newspapers.

the complete truth I didn't touch your stereo, and that's the gospel truth.

Something that is unquestionably true. For example, Every word he uttered was the gospel truth. The word gospel, which comes from the Old English god spel, "good news," has been used to describe something that is thought to be as true as the biblical gospel (that is, undeniably true) since the 13th century. The current idiom originated in the 1600s, when it referred to biblical truths, and has been applied to truth of a more general nature since the late 1800s. Also see take as gospel.

Also, take for gospel. Believe absolutely, regard as true, as in We took every word of his as gospel, but in fact he was often mistaken. This idiom, first recorded in 1496, uses gospel in the sense of the absolute truth. Also see gospel truth.