authentic

American  

[aw-then-tik] / ɔˈθɛn tɪk /

adjective

1. not false or copied; genuine; real.

   an authentic antique.

2. having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified.

   an authentic document of the Middle Ages;

   an authentic work of the old master.

3. representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified.

   a story told in the authentic voice of a Midwestern farmer;

   a senator’s speech that sounded authentic.

4. entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy.

   an authentic report on poverty in Africa.

5. Law. executed with all due formalities.

   an authentic deed.

6. Music.

   1. (of a church mode) having a range extending from the final to the octave above.

   2. (of a cadence) consisting of a dominant harmony followed by a tonic.

7. Obsolete. authoritative.

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authentic British  

/ ɔːˈθɛntɪk, ˌɔːθɛnˈtɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of undisputed origin or authorship; genuine

   an authentic signature

2. accurate in representation of the facts; trustworthy; reliable

   an authentic account

3. (of a deed or other document) duly executed, any necessary legal formalities having been complied with

4. music

   1. using period instruments and historically researched scores and playing techniques in an attempt to perform a piece as it would have been played at the time it was written

   2. ( in combination )

      an authentic-instrument performance

5. music Compare plagal

   1. (of a mode as used in Gregorian chant) commencing on the final and ending an octave higher

   2. (of a cadence) progressing from a dominant to a tonic chord

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Synonym Usage

Authentic, genuine, real, veritable share the sense of actuality and lack of falsehood or misrepresentation. Authentic carries the connotation of authoritative confirmation that things or people are what they are claimed or appear to be: an authentic Rembrandt sketch; an authentic smile. Genuine refers to objects or persons having the characteristics or source claimed or implied: a genuine ivory carving. Real, the most general of these terms, refers to innate or actual—as opposed to ostensible—nature or character: In real life, plans often miscarry. A real diamond will cut glass. Veritable, derived from the Latin word for truth, suggests the general truthfulness but not necessarily the literal or strict correspondence with reality of that which it describes; it is often used metaphorically: a veritable wizard of finance.

Other Word Forms

• authenticity
  noun
• nonauthentic
  adjective
• quasi-authentic
  adjective
• unauthentic
  adjective
• authentically
  adverb
• quasi-authentically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of authentic

First recorded in 1300–50; from Late Latin authenticus “coming from the author, genuine” (also in the neuter, as a noun: “original document, the original”), from Greek authentikós “original, primary, at first hand,” equivalent to authént(ēs) “perpetrator,” literally, “one who does things oneself” ( aut- aut- + -hentēs “doer”) + -ikos -ic

Explanation

The adjective authentic describes something that is real or genuine and not counterfeit. Be careful when you are buying jewelry or watches. If you are going to buy a diamond ring, you want an authentic diamond and not glass. That would be authentic glass but a fake diamond! In addition to describing something real, the adjective authentic describes something reliable, based on fact, and believable. If you have to write a research paper for school, be sure to use authentic facts and figures. The teacher is sure to check if you write, "My little sister told me that the Eiffel Tower is about 10,000 feet high," when in fact it's 1,063 feet tall.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

authentic

“It doesn’t have to be radical, for many people it should not be. But to live a life that is slightly more authentic to their true selves.”

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Fair enough, but the corollary of that case is that the platform Bluesky exists to counter, X, is somehow a more authentic representation of the world.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

Hearing the poems recited in the epic Greek of antiquity would be a purist’s ideal—nothing more authentic than that—but who are we kidding?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

I have like six authentic Disney pins here.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

“Then at one time an authentic Garland existed,” Phil Resch said.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• accurate
• authoritative
• convincing
• credible
• legitimate
• original
• pure
• reliable
• true
• trustworthy