sincerity
Americannoun
Synonym Usage
See honor.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sincerity
First recorded in 1540–50; from the Latin word sincēritās; see sincere, -ity
Explanation
Sincerity is a mix of seriousness and honesty. If you do things with sincerity, people will trust you. Along with patience and compassion, sincerity is one of those qualities we all probably wish we had more of — and wish other people had more of, too. People who show sincerity are being serious, kind, and truthful. Politicians who show sincerity tend to do well because people believe them. An apology full of sincerity will probably be accepted. On the other hand, if you show no sincerity — by being sarcastic or dismissive — well, who wants an apology like that?
Vocabulary lists containing sincerity
Beowulf: A New Telling
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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
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List 8
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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.
The crux of this story is on Nelson and Morrison’s shoulders, and their sincerity flies in the face of good judgment and self-editing, giving viewers a palpable sense of their egos.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Beyond its source material, several compositional choices lend the Fantasy its disarming sincerity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
But Mays plays the role with moving sincerity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Harald's "humour, humanity and sincerity made him a truly special man", Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
“My dear Handel,” Herbert would say to me, in all sincerity, “if you will believe me, those very words were on my lips, by a strange coincidence.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
