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bona fide
or bona-fide
[ boh-nuh-fahyd, bon-uh; boh-nuh-fahy-dee ]
/ ˈboʊ nə ˌfaɪd, ˈbɒn ə; ˈboʊ nə ˈfaɪ di /
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adjective
OTHER WORDS FOR bona fide
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Origin of bona fide
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin bonā fidē “in good faith, with good faith,” ablative singular of (nominative singular) bona fidēs; see also bona fides
usage note for bona fide
See bona fides.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bona fide
bona fide , bona fides (see usage note at bona fides)Words nearby bona fide
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bona fide in a sentence
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
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Cultural 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.