bona fide
or bona-fide
[ boh-nuh fahyd, bon-uh; boh-nuh fahy-dee ]
/ ˈboʊ nə ˌfaɪd, ˈbɒn ə; ˈboʊ nə ˈfaɪ di /
adjective
made, done, presented, etc., in good faith; without deception or fraud: a bona fide statement of intent to sell.
authentic; true: a bona fide sample of Lincoln's handwriting.
Nearby words
bon ton, bon vivant, bon voyage, bona, bona dea, bona fide, bona fides, bona vacantia, bonaci, bonadoxin, bonaire
Origin of bona fide
First recorded in 1935–45, bona fide is from the Latin word bonā fidē
SYNONYMS FOR bona fide
Can be confused
bona fide bona fides (see usage note at bona fides)Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for bona fide
British Dictionary definitions for bona fide
bona fide
adjective (ˈbəʊnə ˈfaɪdɪ)
real or genuinea bona fide manuscript
undertaken in good faitha bona fide agreement
noun (ˈbɔːnə fɑɪd)
Irish informal a public house licensed to remain open after normal hours to serve bona fide travellers
Word Origin for bona fide
C16: from Latin
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
Culture definitions for bona fide
bona fide
[ (boh-nuh feyed, boh-nuh feye-dee, bon-uh feyed) ]
Genuine: “The offer was a bona fide business opportunity: they really meant to carry it through.” From Latin, meaning “in good faith.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.