sincere
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not hypocritical or deceitful; open; genuine
a sincere person
sincere regret
-
archaic pure; unadulterated; unmixed
-
obsolete sound; whole
Synonym Usage
See earnest 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sincere
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin sincērus “pure, clean, untainted”
Explanation
Being sincere is being genuine. If someone compliments you on your outfit, but you notice them rolling their eyes when they think you’re not looking, they probably weren't being sincere. If you've been offered a sincere thanks for something you've done, the person is probably really grateful. Sometimes when people say "thank you," they don't always mean it, but when they add the adjective sincere, the emphasis is usually for a very good reason. You may hear a charity sending out a sincere thanks to sponsors for their donations, which help keep the charity running.
Vocabulary lists containing sincere
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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.
See Examples For:
Today, Sheeran contends his aim is to entertain, not inflame, and there’s every reason to believe he’s sincere in that claim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Maybe Vance’s just-asking-questions routine is a sincere effort to fix that.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
“He didn’t say he hated Trump,” interjected his wife Lila Trask, 79, who thinks the teacher is sincere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"Both Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff are always welcome guests here, and we are glad to work with them," he said, describing them as "sincere".
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
In a resolution, which cited each of them by name, the council said, “We express our sincere gratitude for the splendid work done in the matter of investigating and bringing to justice the parties charged.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
“There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” reads the slip of paper.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2015
Guarantee us peace," begged Mr. Guinness, "and Germany will find she has no sincerer and no more useful friend in the world than Britain!
From Time Magazine Archive
Another Richmond editorial said, “There will in all the earth be no sincerer mourners than the people of the southern section of this Union.”
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
But either you write not at all for women, or for those of sincerer palates.
From Letters to Severall Persons of Honour by John Donne
It is to the credit of the sincerer and better supporters of the Stuart cause that they would not even still consent to regard it as wholly lost.
From A History of the Four Georges, Volume I by Justin McCarthy
"What happened today in Teotihuacan hurts us deeply. I express my sincerest solidarity to the people affected and their families," Sheinbaum wrote.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
Life-altering in the sincerest sense of the word, “The Mother Lode” comedically chronicles Rosebud Baker’s journey into motherhood, in real time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
"On behalf of Durham Constabulary I wish to publicly offer my sincerest apologies to those victims and their families for those failures," she said.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025
To Mr. Kerrigan, I send my sincerest condolences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
"Your Highness, I hope I have done nothing to offend you, but if I have, my sincerest apologies," Astrid stammers out.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
