genuine
Americanadjective
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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.
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free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere.
a genuine person.
- Synonyms:
- forthright, frank, honest, open, unaffected, true
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descended from the original stock; pure in breed.
a genuine Celtic people.
adjective
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not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic
-
not pretending; frank; sincere
-
being of authentic or original stock
Pronunciation
Two pronunciations of genuine occur, with a sharp social contrast between them. The usual educated pronunciation is , with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, genuine is commonly pronounced as , 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.
Related Words
See authentic.
Other Word Forms
- genuinely adverb
- genuineness noun
- nongenuine adjective
- quasi-genuine adjective
- ungenuine adjective
Etymology
Origin of genuine
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin genuīnus “innate, natural,” equivalent to genu, as in ingenuus “native” ( ingenuous ) + -īnus adjective suffix ( -ine 1 )
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.
Starbucks has talked for years about turning the afternoon into a genuine peak to rival the morning rush.
Not to say any of these candidates aren’t genuine in their professions, service, or faith, which they likely are.
It is alienating, and you wonder what it is, and whether it’s genuine or just a way of publicly glomming on to the perceived grievances and resentments of his supporters.
Those with genuine needs ultimately pay the price.
Edwards, unsure whether this represented a genuine break between the two men or a ploy by Epstein, told the Journal he alerted his law partner, Stan Pottinger.
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.
