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genuine

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.aɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation, humorous, nonstandard)/ˈd͡ʒɛn.juˌɪn/ (General-American)
  • adjective
  • from Latin

Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “genuine” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

adjective

  1. Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
  2. Not counterfeit, spurious, false, or adulterated.

    a genuine text; a genuine production; genuine materials; genuine friendship

Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
  1. adjectivenot fake or counterfeit — also: echt
  2. adjectivenot pretended; sincerely felt or expressed — also: true, unfeigned
  3. adjectivebeing or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something; ; - G.K.Chesterton — also: actual, literal, real
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: authentic, legit, lubish, natural, real, true, uncounterfeited, actual, bona fide, genuine, legitimate, non-fake

Antonyms: bullshit, fake, ingenuine, counterfeit, fraudulent, knockoff, inauthentic, phony

Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)genuine
  2. Latingenuīnus “innate, native, natural”

From Latin genuīnus (“innate, native, natural”).

Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “genuine”

genuinelygenuinenessgenuinfluencergenuinitynongenuineungenuine

Phrases & compounds

genuine articlegenuine fakegenuine issue of material factgenuine number eleven

Related terms

genusde factode jureinvalidpotentialvalidactually
Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “genuine” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “genuine” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Latin
Latin genuīnus “innate, native, natural”
Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“innate, native, natural”
Latin genuīnus
Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

adjectiveMeaning: Not counterfeit, spurious, false, or adulterated.

a genuine text; a genuine production; genuine materials; genuine friendship

[…] and before you could say 'scissors' that customer had forgotten all about the genuine article, and was out of the shop with the bijoutry.1906, Violet Tweedale, Lady Sarah's Son, page 141:

adjectiveMeaning: not fake or counterfeit

a genuine Picasso

genuine leather

adjectiveMeaning: not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed

genuine emotion

adjectiveMeaning: being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something; ; - G.K.Chesterton

a genuine dilemma

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “genuine” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 7

Say it, then spell it

genuine

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

genuine

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn/ · adjective

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “genuine” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (adjective) Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
2. (adjective) Not counterfeit, spurious, false, or adulterated.

Step 3 — History and origin

Which language did “genuine” come into English from?   A. Latin  B. Ancient Greek  C. New Latin  D. Middle French

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “genuine” and what each means:

Step 4 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin genuīnus. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 5 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “genuine” to mean: Belonging to, or proceeding from the original stock; native.
Write a sentence using “genuine” to mean: Not counterfeit, spurious, false, or adulterated.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — genuine

Origin: A. Latin (Latin genuīnus)

Journey: English genuine ← Latin genuīnus

Some derivatives: genuinely, genuineness, genuinfluencer, genuinity, nongenuine, ungenuine

Original meaning: Latin genuīnus — “innate, native, natural”

Etymology: From Latin genuīnus (“innate, native, natural”).

Sources: Wiktionary “genuine” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/genuine#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/genuine