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

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

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

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, noun

Word Origin for genuine

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