Definition of bona fidenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bona fide contrast with its synonyms?

The words authentic and genuine are common synonyms of bona fide. While all three words mean "being actually and exactly what is claimed," bona fide implies good faith and sincerity of intention.

a bona fide offer for the stock

When is authentic a more appropriate choice than bona fide?

The meanings of authentic and bona fide largely overlap; however, authentic implies being fully trustworthy as according with fact; it can also stress painstaking or faithful imitation of an original.

an authentic account of the perilous journey
an authentic reproduction
authentic Vietnamese cuisine

When could genuine be used to replace bona fide?

The synonyms genuine and bona fide are sometimes interchangeable, but genuine implies actual character not counterfeited, imitated, or adulterated; it also connotes definite origin from a source.

genuine piety
genuine maple syrup
a genuine Mark Twain autograph

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bona fide That then belies that the captive insurance company is a bona fide enterprise risk management tool but is instead a tax shelter. Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026 The Knicks look like bona fide title contenders. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026 The work in question, it should be noted, was not a bona fide van Dongen. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 May 2026 The musical grossed over $300 million and cemented Travolta and Newton-John as bona fide movie stars. Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bona fide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bona fide
Adjective
  • Cities like Charlotte and Raleigh are becoming home to Colombian storefronts and restaurants that are just as authentic as any place in Cartagena.
    Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
  • If enough of these clips rack up enough views fast enough, credulous social-media algorithms interpret the spike as an authentic surge of interest and push the videos to real users, who sometimes generate real engagement, prompting the algorithm to push those videos even further.
    Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • With a population of only about 5,000 people − both working class and millionaires alike − the eagles are a frequent local topic, both because of the international attention but also because so many locals are genuine fans.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 May 2026
  • Locals, even some hardened to the realities of big-time sports, bought into Kiffin’s genuine affection for the people and the place.
    Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • There’s no real way around historical McCarthyism.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 12 May 2026
  • Later in the day, the menu shifts to a mix of Chinese and international dishes, but the view is the real star.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • This is true only in the narrowest sense.
    Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
  • That was certainly true on Monday, as Lamont signed a new 124-page labor bill into law.
    Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Colicchio is honest enough to walk up to that line and examine it.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 May 2026
  • Because either McCluskie is one heck of a con man who rolled both Becerra and Williamson, making both believe what was happening was kosher with entirely different tales, or someone isn’t being entirely honest.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • While the story is fundamentally the same as the original production — man discovers wife is having an affair, man then plots for his wife’s murder, man then must evade the cops — Hatcher brings the story to the 21st century in many ways.
    Amy Reyes May 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
  • Chaiyaphum is the Thai province where the original fossils were discovered.
    Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • There are actual suites as well, ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet with larger separate living areas.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
  • That means technology in many cases has more relevance than the actual content on the screen.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • Their head coach for qualifying, Steve McClaren, resigned immediately in disgrace, and Speid—a certified accountant who’s coached in Jamaica’s domestic league for more than a decade—took over.
    Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
  • Candidates for Teachers of the Year in the La Jolla Cluster — the five local campuses in the San Diego Unified School District — are nominated by their peers at each site, followed by a vote by all certified employees.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bona fide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bona%20fide. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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