bona fide

adjective

bo·​na fide ˈbō-nə-ˌfīd  ˈbä- 

ˌbō-nə-ˈfī-dē, 

-ˈfī-də

1

: authentic, true, or real : genuine

The influencer has become a bona fide celebrity.

Suddenly, here was a bona fide major league city, home to thousands of baseball-crazy residents …

—Reis Thebault

2

: made honestly with earnest intent : sincere

a bona fide proposal

… the first bona fide effort to bring big-stakes, U.S.-based competition to professional soccer within this hemisphere …

—Kurt Streeter

3

law : made in good faith without fraud or deceit

a bona fide offer to buy a farm

Did you know?

Bona fide means "in good faith" in Latin. When applied to business deals and the like, it stresses the absence of fraud or deception. A bona fide sale of securities is an entirely aboveboard transaction. Outside of business and law, bona fide implies mere sincerity and earnestness. A bona fide promise is one that the person has every intention of keeping. A bona fide proposal of marriage is one made by a suitor who isn't kidding around. Bona fide also has the noun form bona fides; when someone asks about someone else's bona fides, it usually means evidence of their qualifications or achievements.

Synonyms of bona fide

• authentic
• genuine
• real
• true
• honest
• for real
• original
• actual
• certified

Choose the Right Synonym for bona fide

authentic, genuine, bona fide mean being actually and exactly what is claimed.

authentic implies being fully trustworthy as according with fact

an authentic account of the perilous journey

; it can also stress painstaking or faithful imitation of an original.

an authentic reproduction

authentic Vietnamese cuisine

genuine implies actual character not counterfeited, imitated, or adulterated

genuine piety

genuine maple syrup

; it also connotes definite origin from a source.

a genuine Mark Twain autograph

bona fide implies good faith and sincerity of intention.

a bona fide offer for the stock

Examples of bona fide in a Sentence

She has established her position as a bona fide celebrity.

His latest record was a bona fide hit.

They have a bona fide claim for the loss.

Recent Examples on the Web

Gerard Butler has plenty of bona fide theatrical hits on his résumé, but he’s also got plenty of sleeper hits like Greenland, Den of Thieves and Plane. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026

Ralph Lauren has completed its transformation from a discount-dependent retailer to a bona fide luxury house after CEO Patrice Louvet arrived from Procter & Gamble in 2017 and found a brand overexposed at outlet malls and the like. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Googoosh was one of Iran’s most famous women, a child star who grew up to become a bona fide pop culture phenomenon. —Liz Ohanesian, Oc Register, 11 Dec. 2025

The only retailer having a bona fide sale on SkinCeuticals's offerings is Bluemercury, so click over to the site while they're still fully stocked and snag all of your SkinCeuticals faves at 15% off. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, in good faith

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for bona fide

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified

Kids Definition

bona fide

adjective

bo·​na fide ˈbō-nə-ˌfīd  ˈbä-nə- 

ˌbō-nə-ˈfīd-ē, 

-ˈfīd-ə

1

: made or done in good faith

bona fide offer

2

: made with earnest intent : sincere

3

: genuine sense 1

a bona fide cowboy

Etymology

from Latin bona fide, literally, "in good faith"; bona from bonus "good" and fide from fides "faith" — related to bonus, faith

Legal Definition

bona fide

adjective

bo·​na fide ˈbō-nə-ˌfīd, ˈbä-nə-; ˌbō-nə-ˈfī-dē, -ˈfī-də 

1

a

: characterized by good faith and lack of fraud or deceit

a bona fide offer

b

: valid under or in compliance with the law

retirement incentives made part of a bona fide employee benefit plan

2

: made with or characterized by sincerity

a bona fide belief

3

: being real or genuine

bona fide residents

Etymology

Latin, in good faith