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.

---

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

---

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

“They’re authentic to their background, sincere according to their world view… and vulnerable.”

From Los Angeles Times

I don’t know what this means, but it seems sincere.

From Literature

She looked so sincere and caring I almost wanted to almost believe her.

From Literature

Douglas Alexander said there had been a "sincere and genuine disagreement" between the pair but insisted they were focused on May's Holyrood election.

From BBC

I believe Ms. Castaneda, an ultrasound technician at a southern California hospital, is sincere in trying to give superior healthcare to our state.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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