Meaning & use
sincerity
Last updated
UK/sɪnˈserəti/
US/sɪnˈserəti/
Meaning
noununcountable
The quality of really meaning what you say and feel, without pretending.
Grammar: No plural and no article: He spoke with sincerity.
Patterns
- with sincerity
- the sincerity of something
- doubt someone's sincerity
I could hear the sincerity in her apology.
Nobody doubted the sincerity of his promise.
She thanked them with great sincerity.
Common combinations
- genuine sincerity
- Her genuine sincerity won everyone over.
- question someone's sincerity
- Critics questioned the mayor's sincerity.
- speak with sincerity
- He spoke with sincerity about his mistakes.
- lack of sincerity
- A lack of sincerity made the speech feel hollow.
- in all sincerity
- In all sincerity, I think you did the right thing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- honesty
- Honesty is about telling the truth, while sincerity is about whether your feelings are real.
- earnestness
- Earnestness adds a serious, intense tone that sincerity does not need.
- genuineness
- Genuineness is wider and can describe objects as well as people, unlike sincerity.
Opposites
Word family
- sincere adjective
- honest and genuine
- sincerely adverb
- in a genuine way
- insincere adjective
- pretending to feel something
- insincerity noun
- lack of genuine feeling
Commonly confused: sincerity or sincere?
sincerity vs sincere
Sincere is the adjective; sincerity is the noun naming the quality.
Practice
Which word fits? Her ___ was obvious when she cried while thanking the volunteers.
Choose one answer.
A noun is needed after her, so sincerity fits. Sincere and insincere are adjectives and sincerely is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sincerity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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