possessing the claimed or attributed character, quality, or origin; not counterfeit; authentic; real: genuine sympathy; a genuine antique.
2.
properly so called: a genuine case of smallpox.
3.
free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere: a genuine person.
4.
descended from the original stock; pure in breed: a genuine Celtic people.
Origin: 1590–1600; < Latingenuīnus innate, natural = genu-, as in ingenuus native (see ingenuous) + -īnus-ine1
Related forms
gen·u·ine·ly, adverb
gen·u·ine·ness, noun
non·gen·u·ine, adjective
non·gen·u·ine·ly, adverb
non·gen·u·ine·ness, noun
qua·si-gen·u·ine, adjective
qua·si-gen·u·ine·ly, adverb
un·gen·u·ine, adjective
un·gen·u·ine·ly, adverb
un·gen·u·ine·ness, noun
Synonyms 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 /ˈdʒɛnyuɪn/Show Spelled[jen-yoo-in]Show IPA with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, genuine is commonly pronounced as /ˈdʒɛnyuˌaɪn/[jen-yoo-ahyn] 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.
1596, from L. genuinus "native, natural," from root of gignere "beget" (see genus), perhaps infl. in form by contrasting adulterinus "spurious." Alternative etymology is from L. genu "knee," from an ancient custom of a father acknowledging paternity of a newborn by placing it on his knee.