authentic
Americanadjective
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not false or copied; genuine; real.
an authentic antique.
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having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified.
an authentic document of the Middle Ages;
an authentic work of the old master.
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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.
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entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy.
an authentic report on poverty in Africa.
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Law. executed with all due formalities.
an authentic deed.
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Music.
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(of a church mode) having a range extending from the final to the octave above.
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(of a cadence) consisting of a dominant harmony followed by a tonic.
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Obsolete. authoritative.
adjective
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of undisputed origin or authorship; genuine
an authentic signature
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accurate in representation of the facts; trustworthy; reliable
an authentic account
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(of a deed or other document) duly executed, any necessary legal formalities having been complied with
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music
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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
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( in combination )
an authentic-instrument performance
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music Compare plagal
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(of a mode as used in Gregorian chant) commencing on the final and ending an octave higher
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(of a cadence) progressing from a dominant to a tonic chord
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Related Words
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
- authentically adverb
- authenticity noun
- nonauthentic adjective
- quasi-authentic adjective
- quasi-authentically adverb
- unauthentic adjective
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
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.
They don’t taste like anything, but they make it seem more authentic somehow.
From Literature
The story was ultimately turned into a stage play and showcased by the East West Players, L.A.’s top theater company for authentic Asian American stories.
From Los Angeles Times
While even reliable AI detectors can produce false results, researchers say a crop of fraudulent tools has emerged online, easily weaponized to discredit authentic content and tarnish reputations.
From Barron's
But that agenda is also profoundly narcissistic and poorly conceived, not to mention managed by shameless lickspittles whose only authentic job skill lies in praising the boss.
From Salon
"When AI creates fictional individuals with vitiligo and portrays them as authentic members of the community, this crosses into the territory of misinformation," said the British charity.
From Barron's
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.
