From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgenuinegen‧u‧ine /ˈdʒenjuɪn/ ●●○ S3 W3 adjective 1 REAL/NOT FALSE OR ARTIFICIALa genuine feeling, desire etc is one that you really feel, not one you pretend to feel SYN sinceregenuine interest/concern/desire etc The reforms are motivated by a genuine concern for the disabled. a genuine fear of invasion ‘Did he really?’ Her surprise seemed genuine.2 REAL/NOT FALSE OR ARTIFICIALsomething genuine really is what it seems to be SYN real We need laws that will protect genuine refugees. The strap is genuine leather.3 HONESTFRIENDLYsomeone who is genuine is honest and friendly and you feel you can trust them OPP false She is the most genuine person I’ve ever met.4 → the genuine article —genuineness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSgenuine used about a feeling, thing, or person that really is what they seem to begenuine concernExperts believe that the painting is genuine.genuine refugeesa genuine reason for taking time off workIf a student has genuine religious objections to a school activity, they do not have to participate.real not false or artificialreal woodHis real name is Reginald.It looks just like the real thing.Are those flowers real or artificial?authentic authentic food, music, clothes etc are correct for the place or the period in history that they are supposed to be fromIt’s a friendly restaurant offering authentic Greek food.authentic medieval instrumentsThe dancers wore authentic Native American designs.true [only before noun] having all the qualities you would expect a particular type of person or thing to havea true friendShe is a true professional.Being a true Red Sox fan, he never missed a game.True Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God.bona fide /ˌbəʊnə ˈfaɪdi $ ˈbəʊnə faɪd/ [usually before noun] bona fide people or things are really what they say they are, especially when this can be checked by looking at official documentsa bona fide medical qualificationa bona fide companyThis club is only open to bona fide members.hard evidence/facts evidence or facts that are genuine and can be provedThere was no hard evidence to support the theory.
Examples from the Corpus
genuine• I'm not sure if her sympathy was really genuine.• On the other hand it makes it difficult to reach genuine agreement on anything at all.• As nice and as genuine as they are, they were not exposed to real people.• It is a genuine attack by the self upon the body, by which mental anguish is swapped for bodily pain.• This is the first genuine attempt to reach a peaceful settlement to the dispute.• If the Bill is not amended, those genuine claimants will undoubtedly be penalised.• Are they genuine communities of learners?• a genuine diamond• For the first time on the trip, I saw genuine fear in his eyes.• The stunning luminous display and thickly padded, genuine leather wristband are the height of fashion in any setting.• We need a much faster system for dealing with genuine refugees.• If a student has genuine religious objections to a school activity, they do not have to participate.• For years people thought the picture was a genuine Van Gogh, but in fact it's a fake.genuine interest/concern/desire etc• Shon says, with genuine concern.• Beaverbrook had some genuine concern, and was less consistently anti-Baldwin.• The Profitboss puts money into welfare, motivated by a deep and genuine concern for every single person in his team.• He had shown, or so it had seemed to her at the time, genuine concern for others.• But after a few months, it became apparent that Vicky did not have a genuine interest in her job.• Silent viewing also generates a genuine desire to communicate within the group.• His genuine desire to make up may be interpreted as an attempt to embarrass or be-little.• Some may choose to work with vulnerable elderly people out of altruism, and a genuine desire to work with this age group.Origin genuine (1500-1600) Latin genuinus “born, genuine” 