authentic

The word “authentic” means genuine and exactly what it claims to be, not fake or copied. In plain terms, real and genuine — the real deal, not a fake, copy, or performance.

“Authentic” is pronounced o-THEHN-tihk (/ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “authentic” used in a sentence: “She bought an authentic Italian leather bag on her trip to Florence.”

The opposite of “authentic” — its antonyms — are non-authentic, nonauthentic, phony, fake and ingenuine.

“Authentic” is an adjective.

The word “authentic” comes from Latin. From Old French autentique, from Latin authenticus, from Greek authentikós ("genuine").

“Authentic” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Authentic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: genuine and exactly what it claims to be, not fake or copied.

The two overlap heavily and are often interchangeable. Genuine stresses that something is not fake or counterfeit, while authentic adds the idea of being exactly what it claims to be, often with verified origin — an authentic painting is one confirmed to be by the claimed artist. Applied to people, authentic means true to one's own character.

Original means the first of its kind, or the actual first item rather than a copy. Authentic means genuinely what it claims to be. The two can come apart: officially licensed merchandise is authentic without being an original, and a first draft is original whether or not anyone disputes it.

Authentic frequently modifies food and culture nouns — authentic Italian cuisine, an authentic experience — where it means true to the tradition it claims. It also modifies items whose genuineness matters, such as an authentic signature, an authentic document, or an authentic antique.