sincere

American  

[sin-seer] / sɪnˈsɪər /

adjective

sincerer, sincerest

1. free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest.

   a sincere apology.

   Synonyms:

   unaffected, guileless, open, honest, candid, frank

   Antonyms:

   false

2. genuine; real.

   a sincere effort to improve; a sincere friend.

   Antonyms:

   false

3. pure; unmixed; unadulterated.

4. Obsolete. sound; unimpaired.

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sincere British  

/ sɪnˈsɛrɪtɪ, sɪnˈsɪə /

adjective

1. not hypocritical or deceitful; open; genuine

   a sincere person

   sincere regret

2. archaic pure; unadulterated; unmixed

3. obsolete sound; whole

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Related Words

See earnest ¹.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-sincere adjective
• quasi-sincerely adverb
• sincerely adverb
• sincereness noun
• sincerity noun

Etymology

Origin of sincere

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin sincērus “pure, clean, untainted”

Example Sentences

Raudnitz said: "I'm instructed now in the clearest of clear terms the defendant would like to express through me his sincere apologies."

From BBC

Rob Reiner was clear and sincere in his beliefs, put his money where his mouth was and made art designed to connect rather than divide us.

From Los Angeles Times

Doherty said while the idea began as a joke, the finished video takes on a more sincere tone.

From BBC

"You'd have to have a sincere commitment by both sides to make this work," he added.

From Barron's

"I want to express my sincere appreciation to those affected - we are committed to supporting each individual with care, guidance and assistance throughout this transition," he added.

From BBC

Related Words

• candid
• earnest
• for real
• forthright
• genuine
• heartfelt
• outspoken
• real
• serious
• true
• trustworthy