genuine
[ jen-yoo-in ]
/ ˈdʒɛn yu ɪn /
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
SYNONYMS FOR genuine
1 See
authentic.
3 true, unaffected, open, honest, forthright.
pronunciation note for genuine
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.
OTHER WORDS FROM genuine
Words nearby genuine
genu varum,
genual,
genucubital position,
genuflect,
genuflection,
genuine,
genupectoral position,
genus,
genève,
genêt,
geo
Example sentences from the Web for genuineness
British Dictionary definitions for genuineness
genuine
/ (ˈdʒɛnjʊɪn) /
adjective
not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic
not pretending; frank; sincere
being of authentic or original stock
Derived forms of genuine
genuinely, adverb genuineness, nounWord Origin for genuine
C16: from Latin
genuīnus inborn, hence (in Late Latin) authentic, from
gignere to produce