Love truth, but pardon error. — Voltaire · Smartyfair

Love truth, but pardon error.

Voltaire1694–1778 · writer · 1700s FranceVoltaire was a French writer and philosopher famous for his sharp wit and his fierce defense of free speech and religious tolerance.6 quotes

Source not found yetWisdom1700s

In plain words

Care about the truth, and be gentle with people who get it wrong.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 60% sureLots of sources credit Voltaire with this, and they agree with each other. The book or the speech it first came from hasn't turned up yet.
What turned up: Sept Discours en Vers sur l'Homme, "Deuxième discours: de la liberté" (1738): "Aime la vérité, mais pardonne à l'erreur." No named English translator located for this standard rendering.
Work: Sept Discours en Vers sur l'Homme
Occasion: 1738
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Sourced section, raw wikitext fetch — French original + citation

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