genuine

[jen-yoo-in]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR genuine ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

possessing the claimed or attributed character, quality, or origin; not counterfeit; authentic; real: genuine sympathy; a genuine antique.

properly so called: a genuine case of smallpox.

free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere: a genuine person.

descended from the original stock; pure in breed: a genuine Celtic people.

Origin of genuine

1590–1600; < Latin genuīnus innate, natural, equivalent to genu, as in ingenuus native (see ingenuous) + -īnus -ine¹

Related formsgen·u·ine·ly, adverbgen·u·ine·ness, nounnon·gen·u·ine, adjectivenon·gen·u·ine·ly, adverbnon·gen·u·ine·ness, nounqua·si-gen·u·ine, adjectivequa·si-gen·u·ine·ly, adverbun·gen·u·ine, adjectiveun·gen·u·ine·ly, adverbun·gen·u·ine·ness, noun

Synonyms for genuine

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR genuine ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See authentic. 3. true, unaffected, open, honest, forthright.

Pronunciation note

Two pronunciations of genuine occur, with a sharp social contrast between them. The usual educated pronunciation is

[jen-yoo-in] /ˈdʒɛn yu ɪn/, with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, genuine is commonly pronounced as

[jen-yoo-ahyn] /ˈdʒɛn yuˌaɪn/, with a secondary stress on the final syllable, which has the vowel of sign. The latter pronunciation is sometimes used deliberately by educated speakers, as for emphasis or humorous effect.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for ungenuine

specious, bogus, phony, false, mythical, untrue, unsubstantiated, inaccurate, fictitious, natural, irregular, fake, imperfect, sham, mongrel, inferior, counterfeit, adulterated, impure, misbegotten

Examples from the Web for ungenuine

Historical Examples of ungenuine

It is pronounced by some of the best critics to be ungenuine.
The Cradle of the Christ
Octavius Brooks Frothingham
Hilary and Anna had lately sung this wail together, but not to its end, she had called it "so ungenuine."
Kincaid's Battery
George W. Cable

British Dictionary definitions for ungenuine

genuine

adjective

not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic

not pretending; frank; sincere

being of authentic or original stock

Derived Formsgenuinely, adverbgenuineness, noun

Word Origin for genuine

C16: from Latin genuīnus inborn, hence (in Late Latin) authentic, from gignere to produce

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ungenuine

genuine

adj.

1590s, "natural, not acquired," from Latin genuinus "native, natural," from root of gignere "beget" (see genus), perhaps influenced in form by contrasting adulterinus "spurious." [Alternative etymology is from Latin genu "knee," from a supposed ancient custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn by placing it on his knee.] Meaning "really proceeding from its reputed source" is from 1660s. Related: Genuinely; genuineness.