genuinely
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of genuinely
Explanation
The adverb genuinely describes something done in a way that's real and true. If your friend is genuinely thrilled about your plan to backpack across China next summer, she means it. When you say something genuinely, you're honest. If you're genuinely worried about your friend getting hurt on her motorcycle, you'll beg her to wear a helmet. One theory about the origin of genuinely is that it comes from the Latin word for "knee," genu, referencing a custom of a father acknowledging his paternity by holding his baby on his knee.
Vocabulary lists containing genuinely
A Monster Calls
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Copper Sun
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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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.
If these companies genuinely believe slower development serves the public interest, nothing prevents them from slowing down unilaterally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
He asks me whether I think the Blackdog project will ever happen and I have genuinely no idea.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
When they rise substantially, it means money is genuinely becoming more expensive to borrow for U.S. consumers and businesses in terms of actual purchasing power.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher who quit Anthropic, told the BBC this weekend that staff developing the systems were "genuinely frightened" for the future of humanity.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
They weren’t lying; they genuinely failed to understand the nature of the subprime CDO.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
