genuinely
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of genuinely
Explanation
The adverb genuinely describes something done in a way that's real and true. If your friend is genuinely thrilled about your plan to backpack across China next summer, she means it. When you say something genuinely, you're honest. If you're genuinely worried about your friend getting hurt on her motorcycle, you'll beg her to wear a helmet. One theory about the origin of genuinely is that it comes from the Latin word for "knee," genu, referencing a custom of a father acknowledging his paternity by holding his baby on his knee.
Vocabulary lists containing genuinely
A Monster Calls
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Copper Sun
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This woman could genuinely be trying her best to get it all sorted.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
It sounds melodramatic, but I genuinely didn’t think I would make it to the age of 25.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
"I genuinely came away from them and thought, I'm really going to miss them, I want to be with them again," she says.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
“Sharing the pen with our partners from start to finish allows us to build something that feels true to the story and is genuinely exciting for our customers,” Healan said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Perhaps because we are still living their legacy, we have yet to reach a genuinely historical perspective on the revolutionary generation.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
