Dictionary.com
definitions

bona fide

or bona-fide

[ boh-nuh fahyd, bon-uh; boh-nuh fahy-dee ]
/ ˈboʊ nə ˌfaɪd, ˈbɒn ə; ˈboʊ nə ˈfaɪ di /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bona fide ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED CONTENT

In Omnia Paratus And Other Latin Phrases You’ve Heard While StreamingFrom Gilmore Girls to the Handmaid's Tale to Harry Potter, Latin (or some form of it) is everywhere. Well, let's whip out our glasses and study up on some of the most popular pop culture Latin phrases.
READ MORE
Blond vs. Blonde: What’s The Difference?You probably know blond as a hair color. But wait, haven't you seen the word blond spelled with an E too: blonde? Why?!
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

genuine, legitimate, authentic, authoritative, credible, natural, official, original, pure, real, rightful, straight, unquestionable, veritable, card-carrying, actual, honest, kosher, valid, true

Nearby words

  1. bon vivant,
  2. bon voyage,
  3. bon, cape,
  4. bona,
  5. bona dea,
  6. bona fides,
  7. bona vacantia,
  8. bonaci,
  9. bonadoxin,
  10. bonafide

Origin of bona fide

First recorded in 1935–45, bona fide is from the Latin word bonā fidē
ANTONYMS FOR bona fide
spurious, deceitful, false.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR bona fide ON THESAURUS.COM
Can be confusedbona 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
Word Origin and History for bona fide

bona fide

1540s, Latin, literally "in good faith," ablative of bona fides "good faith" (see faith). Originally used as an adverb, later (18c.) also as an adjective. The opposite is mala fide.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.