genuinely

American

[jen-yoo-in-lee] / ˈdʒɛn yu ɪn li /

adverb

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.

Other Word Forms

nongenuinely adverb
quasi-genuinely adverb
ungenuinely 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.

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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.

"Each new phase of Galkynysh so far tends to reinforce the Chinese vector rather than genuinely diversify it," Narymbetov said.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

"She genuinely doesn't know what caused her to behave in this way," Strain said, adding that she was sorry.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

“This is your home. I knocked on your door because I genuinely want to know what you think. Please don’t apologize for sharing your opinion,” I told them.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

“Miller genuinely wanted to fight for this cause as an anti-colonial patriot,” Mr. Hemming writes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

I noticed that his eyes shone more when he made eye contact with Mamá, like he was genuinely happy for her.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023