genuinely

American  

[jen-yoo-in-lee] / ˈdʒɛn yu ɪn li /

adverb

1. in a way that is real or true; authentically, honestly, or sincerely.

   We encourage children to place themselves in other people’s shoes in order to genuinely understand and empathize with their emotions.

   Ada is volunteering on the campaign because she genuinely believes in the candidate’s goals.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nongenuinely
  adverb
• ungenuinely
  adverb
• quasi-genuinely
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of genuinely

genuine ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

Harington: Great TV writers genuinely learn their actors as well as their characters, and they tie those things in as it goes through.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

"I feel genuinely moved today by the rule of law," Lander told reporters after the verdict.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

When that happens, the pretrained network may interpret unfamiliar information through the lens of what it already knows, making it harder to recognize genuinely new effects.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

There are some concerns that one minute is too long, that it could penalise players who are genuinely injured.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

I was genuinely apologetic for laughing and even more deeply regretful of the situation I had put myself in.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• absolutely
• actually
• authentically
• certainly
• fairly
• honestly
• indeed