genuine

[jen-yoo-in]

adjective

1. possessing the claimed or attributed character, quality, or origin; not counterfeit; authentic; real.

   genuine sympathy;

   a genuine antique.

2. properly so called.

   a genuine case of smallpox.

3. free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere.

   a genuine person.

   Synonyms: forthright, frank, honest, open, unaffected, true

4. descended from the original stock; pure in breed.

   a genuine Celtic people.

genuine

/ ˈdʒɛnjʊɪn /

adjective

1. not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic

2. not pretending; frank; sincere

3. being of authentic or original stock

Pronunciation Note

Two pronunciations of genuine occur, with a sharp social contrast between them. The usual educated pronunciation is , with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, genuine is commonly pronounced as , with a secondary stress on the final syllable, which has the vowel of sign. The latter pronunciation is sometimes used deliberately by educated speakers, as for emphasis or humorous effect.

Other Word Forms

• genuinely adverb
• genuineness noun
• nongenuine adjective
• quasi-genuine adjective
• ungenuine adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of genuine¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin genuīnus “innate, natural,” equivalent to genu, as in ingenuus “native” ( ingenuous ) + -īnus adjective suffix ( -ine ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of genuine¹

C16: from Latin genuīnus inborn, hence (in Late Latin) authentic, from gignere to produce

Synonym Study

See authentic.

Example Sentences

They appear to be authentic with similar design characteristics to genuine road signs.

Read more on BBC

Adverts abound for study visas, work visas and permanent residency papers abroad -- though one professional warns that not all those offers are genuine.

Read more on Barron's

To prove vindictive prosecution, a defendant must show through objective evidence that the prosecutor acted with “genuine animus” and that the defendant would not have been prosecuted except for that hostility.

Read more on Salon

Whether it signals a genuine change of view or a confirmation of the increasingly uncertain economic outlook confronting all Fed officials remains to be seen.

Read more on Barron's

Or to honesty, as a rule, though he insists that this account of his disastrous Venetian sojourn is genuine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absolute 
• bona fide 
• certain 
• honest 
• legitimate 
• natural 
• palpable 
• positive 
• pure