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

It expressed "sincere regret for any discomfort that may have arisen from misunderstandings" due to the circulating images.

From Barron's

There’s this question that’s open to interpretation of, are the others being manipulative, or are they sincere?

From The Wall Street Journal

“We extend our sincere condolences to Kerri’s family and to all those affected by this tragedy,” Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse said.

From Los Angeles Times

But the Sardinas were completely sincere and Jackman and Hudson honor their innocence by playing them straight.

From Los Angeles Times

They manage to walk a very fine line between sincere thanks and making fun of the ridiculousness of the situation.

From Salon

Related Words

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