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a genuine smile
a sincere smile
an authentic smile
a natural smile
a heartfelt smile
a kindhearted smile
a genuine effort
an earnest effort
a wholesome effort
an honest effort
a real effort
a legitimate effort
a genuine interest
a legitimate interest
a serious interest
a deep interest
a true interest
a sincere interest

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective genuine contrast with its synonyms?

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

In what contexts can authentic take the place of genuine?

While in some cases nearly identical to genuine, 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

Where would bona fide be a reasonable alternative to genuine?

The words bona fide and genuine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bona fide implies good faith and sincerity of intention.

a bona fide offer for the stock

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 genuine Being centered on values and family drives those genuine connections with students, faculty and staff, which has defined TCU as a place where people thrive. Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025 Their filings urge Kraus to deny summary judgment, which a judge only grants when there is no genuine dispute as to material facts. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 May 2025 The next step for the England Under-20 international might be to go on loan to a club competing towards the top of the Championship and then make a genuine effort to break into Spurs’ squad for the 2026-27 season. Jay Harris, New York Times, 29 May 2025 Alternately, his tone was infused with contempt, sarcasm or genuine sympathy for his subjects who had been victims of brutality unleashed by the Gestapo or secret police of the Vichy regime. David Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for genuine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genuine
Adjective
  • Yes, native plants are definitely authentic, and great for supporting our birds and pollinators, but their magic can be subtle in a landscape, one that takes time to appreciate.
    Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • When computers can simulate empathy, generate personalized romantic messages, or even create convincing virtual partners, what happens to the authentic vulnerability that genuine intimacy requires?
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • During the two-and-a-half years when one of the four tubes will be shut to train traffic, the current LIRR and Amtrak schedules — both of which were slightly reduced as of November in anticipation of the shutdown — should, in theory, be unaffected.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
  • In addition, although students with high SAT scores were largely unaffected by course shutouts, students with low SAT scores experienced more negative effects, particularly a lower likelihood of declaring a STEM major.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • However, the real star of the show is the puffer complex.
    Celeste Polanco, Essence, 3 June 2025
  • June 03, 2025 Listening well is an essential aspect of leadership – not just to maintain good relationships with employees, but to drive real business improvements and results.
    Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Players appreciated such an honest approach during the Euro 2022 campaign, which garnered mutual respect and trust.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • So much of it feels like a fever dream, to be honest, being in Singapore.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • This may be true if your sunscreen is exposed to heat or light.
    Health, Health, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • And mainstream journalists, of course, are now the ones writing books containing actual reporting on what happened.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
  • This is an exuberant, visually stylish imagining of soccer that, say some critics who played the beta preview, gets tantalizingly close to the pure physical joy of kicking an actual soccer ball around with your friends.
    Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Trevon Williams, who did not escape from the New Orleans jail, was charged with 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced on May 23.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • As artificial intelligence models grow increasingly sophisticated, their capabilities extend far beyond simple task execution.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Remember when Google demoed its Bard AI tool in 2023 and its factual error led to its parent company losing US$100 billion in market value?
    Greg Edwards, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
  • Puig agreed to waive any legal protections for suppression or exclusion of new information in the factual basis.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Genuine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genuine. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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