genuine

UK: /ˈdʒɛnjuɪn/

US: /ˈdʒɛnjuɪn or, sometimes, -ˌaɪn/

US: ( jen′yo̅o̅ in)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

gen•u•ine /ˈdʒɛnyuɪn or, sometimes, -ˌaɪn/   adj. 

1. authentic;
   real;
   possessing the claimed character, quality, or origin;
   not counterfeit:
   genuine leather.
2. free from pretending;
   sincere:
   She has genuine admiration for talent.

gen•u•ine•ly, adv. 
gen•u•ine•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gen•u•ine  ( jen′yo̅o̅ in), adj. 

1. 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.

• Latin genuīnus innate, natural = genu-, as in ingenuus native (see ingenuous) + -īnus -ine¹
• 1590–1600

gen ′u•ine•ly, adv. 
gen ′u•ine•ness, n. 
Synonyms

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

Pronunciation

Two pronunciations of genuine occur, with a sharp social contrast between them. The usual educated pronunciation is ( jen′yo̅o̅ in), with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, genuine is commonly pronounced as ( jen′yo̅o̅ īn′), 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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

genuine / ˈdʒɛnjʊɪn/ adjective

1. not fake or counterfeit; original; real; authentic
2. not pretending; frank; sincere
3. being of authentic or original stock

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin genuīnus inborn, hence (in Late Latin) authentic, from gignere to produce

ˈgenuinely adverb

ˈgenuineness noun