<PAGE>   1
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 26, 1997

                                                  Registration No. 333-
===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  ------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  ------------

                                  VERITY, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                  ------------

          Delaware                                    77-0182779
  (State of Incorporation)                (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                                 894 Ross Drive
                          Sunnyvale, California 94089
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                  ------------

                       1995 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                           (Full title of the plans)

                               Donald C. McCauley
                   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                  Verity, Inc.
                                 894 Ross Drive
                          Sunnyvale, California 94089
                                 (408) 541-1500
           (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                  ------------

                                   Copies to:
                             Lana K. Hawkins, Esq.
                               Cooley Godward LLP
                             Five Palo Alto Square
                            Palo Alto, CA 94306-2155
                                 (650) 843-5000

                                  ------------
<PAGE>   2

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
================================================================================================================
                                               PROPOSED MAXIMUM         PROPOSED MAXIMUM
TITLE OF SECURITIES         AMOUNT TO BE      OFFERING PRICE PER       AGGREGATE OFFERING          AMOUNT OF
 TO BE REGISTERED            REGISTERED            SHARE (1)                PRICE (1)           REGISTRATION FEE        
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                            <C>               <C>                       <C>                      <C>
Stock Options and              
Common Stock (par
value $.001)                   800,000            $5.375                    $4,300,000               $1,303.03      
================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

================================================================================
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the
    registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c). The price per share and aggregate
    offering price are based upon the closing of Registrant's Common Stock on
    September 24, 1997 as reported on the NASDAQ National Market System.

================================================================================
<PAGE>   3

                   INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CONTENTS OF
                REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8 NO. 333-2475


        The contents of Registration Statement on Form S-8 No. 333-2475 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 1997 are incorporated
by reference herein.


                                    EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

EXHIBIT
NUMBER
-------
<S>             <C>
 5.1            Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP.

23.1            Consent of Independent Accountants.

23.2            Consent of Cooley Godward LLP is contained in Exhibit 5.1 to
                this Registration Statement.

24.1            Power of Attorney in contained on the signature page.

</TABLE>
<PAGE>   4


                                   SIGNATURES


        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on 
September 26, 1997.

                              VERITY, INC.



                              By: /s/ DONALD C. McCAULEY
                                  ----------------------------------------------
                              Title: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


        KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Gary J. Sbona and Donald C. McCauley and
each or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith,
as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of
them, or their or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.

<PAGE>   5

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature                  Title                           Date


  /s/ GARY J. SBONA        President and Chief Executive   September 26, 1997
------------------------   Officer
    Gary J. Sbona

/s/ DONALD C. McCAULEY     Vice President and Chief        September 26, 1997
------------------------   Financial Officer
  Donald C. McCauley

 /s/ JAMES TICEHURST       Principal Accounting Officer    September 26, 1997
------------------------   
   James Ticehurst

/s/ STEVEN KRAUSZ          Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------   
   Steven Krausz

/s/ STEPHEN A. MACDONALD   Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------
 Stephen A. MacDonald

/s/ CHARLES WAITE, JR.     Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------
  Charles Waite, Jr.


<PAGE>   6
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT                                                         SEQUENTIAL
NUMBER                        DESCRIPTION                       PAGE NUMBER

 5.1    Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP

23.1    Consent of Independent Accountants

23.2    Consent of Cooley Godward LLP is contained in Exhibit 5.1 to this
        Registration Statement

24.1    Power of Attorney is contained on the signature pages
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7667}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "VERITY INC \\DE\\", "cik": "0000949956", "assigned-sic": "7374", "irs-number": "770182779", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0531"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-36527", "film-number": "97686527"}, "business-address": {"street1": "894 ROSS AVE", "city": "SUNNYVALE", "state": "CA", "zip": "94089", "phone": "4155411500"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "894 ROSS AVENUE", "city": "SUNNYVALE", "state": "CA", "zip": "94089"}}
1
   As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 26, 1997

                                                  Registration No. 333-
===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  ------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                  ------------

                                  VERITY, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                  ------------

          Delaware                                    77-0182779
  (State of Incorporation)                (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

                                 894 Ross Drive
                          Sunnyvale, California 94089
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                  ------------

                       1995 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
                           (Full title of the plans)

                               Donald C. McCauley
                   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                  Verity, Inc.
                                 894 Ross Drive
                          Sunnyvale, California 94089
                                 (408) 541-1500
           (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                  ------------

                                   Copies to:
                             Lana K. Hawkins, Esq.
                               Cooley Godward LLP
                             Five Palo Alto Square
                            Palo Alto, CA 94306-2155
                                 (650) 843-5000

                                  ------------
2

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================================================
                                               PROPOSED MAXIMUM         PROPOSED MAXIMUM
TITLE OF SECURITIES         AMOUNT TO BE      OFFERING PRICE PER       AGGREGATE OFFERING          AMOUNT OF
 TO BE REGISTERED            REGISTERED            SHARE (1)                PRICE (1)           REGISTRATION FEE        
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stock Options and              
Common Stock (par
value $.001)                   800,000            $5.375                    $4,300,000               $1,303.03      
================================================================================================================
================================================================================
(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the
    registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c). The price per share and aggregate
    offering price are based upon the closing of Registrant's Common Stock on
    September 24, 1997 as reported on the NASDAQ National Market System.

================================================================================
3

                   INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CONTENTS OF
                REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8 NO. 333-2475

        The contents of Registration Statement on Form S-8 No. 333-2475 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 8, 1997 are incorporated
by reference herein.

                                    EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT
NUMBER
-------
5.1            Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP.

23.1            Consent of Independent Accountants.

23.2            Consent of Cooley Godward LLP is contained in Exhibit 5.1 to
                this Registration Statement.

24.1            Power of Attorney in contained on the signature page.
4

                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on 
September 26, 1997.

                              VERITY, INC.

                              By: /s/ DONALD C. McCAULEY
                                  ----------------------------------------------
                              Title: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Gary J. Sbona and Donald C. McCauley and
each or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith,
as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of
them, or their or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue hereof.
5

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature                  Title                           Date

  /s/ GARY J. SBONA        President and Chief Executive   September 26, 1997
------------------------   Officer
    Gary J. Sbona

/s/ DONALD C. McCAULEY     Vice President and Chief        September 26, 1997
------------------------   Financial Officer
  Donald C. McCauley

 /s/ JAMES TICEHURST       Principal Accounting Officer    September 26, 1997
------------------------   
   James Ticehurst

/s/ STEVEN KRAUSZ          Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------   
   Steven Krausz

/s/ STEPHEN A. MACDONALD   Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------
 Stephen A. MacDonald

/s/ CHARLES WAITE, JR.     Director                        September 26, 1997
------------------------
  Charles Waite, Jr.
6
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT                                                         SEQUENTIAL
NUMBER                        DESCRIPTION                       PAGE NUMBER

 5.1    Opinion of Cooley Godward LLP

23.1    Consent of Independent Accountants

23.2    Consent of Cooley Godward LLP is contained in Exhibit 5.1 to this
        Registration Statement

24.1    Power of Attorney is contained on the signature pages