authentic

[ aw-then-tik ]

See synonyms for: authentic authentically on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle Ages;an authentic work of the old master.

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.
entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy: an authentic report on poverty in Africa.
Law. executed with all due formalities: an authentic deed.
Music.
- (of a church mode) having a range extending from the final to the octave above.: Compare plagal.
- (of a cadence) consisting of a dominant harmony followed by a tonic.
Obsolete. authoritative.

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

synonym study For authentic

1-4. 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 words from authentic

au·then·ti·cal·ly, adverb
non·au·then·tic, adjective
qua·si-au·then·tic, adjective
qua·si-au·then·ti·cal·ly, adverb
un·au·then·tic, adjective

Words Nearby authentic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use authentic in a sentence

Brands can gain a lot by finding ways to enable this experience in a meaningful, authentic way.
‘The momentum is there’: In 2021, marketers are starting to see TikTok as a staple of the social budget | Kristina Monllos | February 12, 2021 | Digiday
Many brands entered 2021 with a commitment to building more meaningful and authentic dialogue particularly with communities of color, and while the goal is laudable, brands have to be smart and sensitive if they want to avoid looking opportunistic.
Brand Summit Recap: Marketers face looming identity crisis | Digiday Editors | February 10, 2021 | Digiday
Google wants to make sure that the information it suggests is authentic and comes from the experts in that niche.
Seven enterprise SEO strategies and tactics that really work | Harpreet Munjal | February 8, 2021 | Search Engine Watch
That means leaning into good creative and authentic messaging on Facebook as conversations around the need for diversification have continued to heat up.
Another DTC brand diversifies media strategy amid ‘looming fear of being solely dependent on Facebook’ | Kimeko McCoy | February 4, 2021 | Digiday
Our corporate funeral industry, she argues, has made us forget how to offer our loved ones an authentic sendoff.
How to Be Better at Death (Ep. 450) | Maria Konnikova | February 4, 2021 | Freakonomics

Electric Swamp Blues How can you possibly find authentic swamp blues in Portland, Oregon?
The Best Albums of 2014 | Ted Gioia | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He often receives inquiries from sellers eager to verify that their items are authentic.
Dismembering History: The Shady Online Trade in Ancient Texts | Candida Moss | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He feared the laser-etched markings intended to make them look authentic could be toxic to patients.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’ | The Center for Investigative Reporting | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They were tired of the fare at restaurants catering to tourists and were craving something a bit more authentic.
The Airbnb of Home-Cooked Meals | Itay Hod | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Want an authentic dinner with a local on your next vacation abroad, far from the overpriced tourist traps?
The Airbnb of Home-Cooked Meals | Itay Hod | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A judicial record was made of all of this matter, and authentic papers with the arguments of each party.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624 | Various
My relations with the line by no means ended with the inquiry, and more about it will later on appear in this authentic history.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow
Excitement was at fever heat, and anxious hearts awaited authentic news.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. Dunn
If this ending of the anecdote is not authentic, I feel quite sure that none but a Scotchman could have invented it.
Friend Mac Donald | Max O'Rell
We are left, however, for the most part, without authentic record of the tragic scenes of Christian martyrdom.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for authentic

authentic

/ (ɔːˈθɛntɪk) /

adjective

of undisputed origin or authorship; genuine: an authentic signature
accurate in representation of the facts; trustworthy; reliable: an authentic account

(of a deed or other document) duly executed, any necessary legal formalities having been complied with
music
- 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
- (in combination): an authentic-instrument performance
music : Compare plagal
- (of a mode as used in Gregorian chant) commencing on the final and ending an octave higher
- (of a cadence) progressing from a dominant to a tonic chord

Origin of authentic

C14: from Late Latin authenticus coming from the author, from Greek authentikos, from authentēs one who acts independently, from auto- + hentēs a doer

Derived forms of authentic

authentically, adverb
authenticity (ˌɔːθɛnˈtɪsɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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