Meaning & use
authentic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Real and not a copy, because it truly comes from the person, place or time it claims to.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: an authentic painting; the letter is authentic.
Patterns
- authentic to something
Experts confirmed that the signature was authentic.
The museum displays an authentic Roman coin.
She bought an authentic leather jacket in Italy.
adjectivecomparable
Faithful to the traditional way something is made or done in a culture.
Grammar: Often describes food or crafts: authentic Thai curry.
Patterns
- authentic to something
The restaurant serves authentic Mexican tacos.
They wore authentic costumes from the region.
The village keeps an authentic way of life.
adjectivecomparable
Sincere and honest, and true to your own character.
Grammar: Used for people and feelings: an authentic voice.
Patterns
- be authentic with someone
Readers love her authentic writing voice.
He tried to be authentic with his friends.
The actor gave an authentic performance.
Word forms
| comparative | more authentic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most authentic |
Common combinations
- authentic cuisine
- The market sells authentic Korean cuisine.
- authentic signature
- The lawyer checked that the signature was authentic.
- truly authentic
- The tour offers a truly authentic experience.
- authentic voice
- Her authentic voice stood out in the group.
- remain authentic
- The old town has remained authentic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- genuine
- Genuine is very close but is used a lot for objects and feelings, and slightly less for cultural traditions.
- real
- Real is the everyday word, while authentic adds the idea of being proven or true to its source.
- original
- Original means the first of its kind, while authentic means it is what it claims to be.
- sincere
- Sincere applies to people and feelings only, but authentic can describe objects too.
Opposites
Word family
- authenticity noun
- the quality of being real
- authenticate verb
- to prove something is real
- authentically adverb
- in a genuine way
- inauthentic adjective
- not genuine
- authentication noun
- the process of proving something is genuine
Commonly confused: authentic or authoritative?
authentic vs authoritative
Authoritative means having proper expert authority, not necessarily real or original.
Practice
The expert checked whether the painting was ____ or a skilled copy.
Choose one answer.
Authentic is the opposite of a copy here. Accurate and ancient do not set a real work against a copy, and artificial is about man-made materials.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “authentic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.