sincere
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not hypocritical or deceitful; open; genuine
a sincere person
sincere regret
-
archaic pure; unadulterated; unmixed
-
obsolete sound; whole
Synonym Usage
See earnest 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sincere
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin sincērus “pure, clean, untainted”
Explanation
Being sincere is being genuine. If someone compliments you on your outfit, but you notice them rolling their eyes when they think you’re not looking, they probably weren't being sincere. If you've been offered a sincere thanks for something you've done, the person is probably really grateful. Sometimes when people say "thank you," they don't always mean it, but when they add the adjective sincere, the emphasis is usually for a very good reason. You may hear a charity sending out a sincere thanks to sponsors for their donations, which help keep the charity running.
Vocabulary lists containing sincere
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
See Examples For:
Last week, Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta for what the former described as "honest" and "sincere" conversations that produced "constructive approaches".
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
"You may therefore expect him to address them in his speech with unflinching honesty, sincere sorrow, and respect for the wider discussions that will be taking place between relevant governments on this issue."
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Now comes Good Hang, the hit podcast that sends her straight into listeners’ ears without a shred of armor from a fictional character, just a voice that bounds from joyful to subversive to sincere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Yet at times, Holmes really does appear to be sincere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
She was old, of course, but she didn’t have warts or green teeth and her smile was sincere and inviting.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
“There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” reads the slip of paper.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2015
Guarantee us peace," begged Mr. Guinness, "and Germany will find she has no sincerer and no more useful friend in the world than Britain!
From Time Magazine Archive
Another Richmond editorial said, “There will in all the earth be no sincerer mourners than the people of the southern section of this Union.”
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
It seems to me that in these matters the sincerer we are, the better it is for all parties.
From The Fourth Estate, vol. 2 by Armando Palacio Vald?s
His love of nature, at any rate, is at once of a narrower and sincerer kind than that which Rousseau first made fashionable.
From Hours in a Library New Edition, with Additions. Vol. II (of 3) by Sir Leslie Stephen
Parody, in this case, is the sincerest form of flattery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
"What happened today in Teotihuacan hurts us deeply. I express my sincerest solidarity to the people affected and their families," Sheinbaum wrote.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
"My sincerest and heartfelt condolences continue to remain with the families of both teenagers through this unimaginably difficult time," he added.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
Life-altering in the sincerest sense of the word, “The Mother Lode” comedically chronicles Rosebud Baker’s journey into motherhood, in real time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
“Mrs. Jackson, again, my sincerest apologies that we haven’t spoken before today.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
