Synonyms

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

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.

“One day I was in the mall, and I was just genuinely nice to someone,” Wilkinson recalls of their initial introduction.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

They seemed to be genuinely grappling with the administration’s arguments about why the long-accepted understanding of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause is wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Shortly after full-time, McCabe posted on Instagram: "I just want to clarify that I was genuinely reaching for the shirt. I wouldn't ever want to pull someone's hair. Full respect to Thompson."

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Service was polished, the vibe felt spot-on, and yes, everything was genuinely excellent.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

He did manage to get our keys back so we could get away from the evac center—and he seems to genuinely want to help us.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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