— genuinely , adv. — genuineness , n.
/jen"yooh in/ , adj.
1. possessing the claimed or attributed character, quality, or origin; not counterfeit; authentic; real: genuine sympathy; a genuine antique.
2. properly so called: a genuine case of smallpox.
3. free from pretense, affectation, or hypocrisy; sincere: a genuine person.
4. descended from the original stock; pure in breed: a genuine Celtic people.
[ 1590-1600; genuinus innate, natural = genu-, as in ingenuus native (see INGENUOUS) + -inus -INE 1 ]
Syn. 1. See authentic. 3. true, unaffected, open, honest, forthright.
Pronunciation . Two pronunciations of GENUINE occur, with a sharp social contrast between them. The usual educated pronunciation is /jen"yooh in/ , with the final syllable unstressed. Among some less educated speakers, especially older ones, GENUINE is commonly pronounced as /jen"yooh uyn'/ , with a secondary stress on the final syllable, which has the vowel of sign. The latter pronunciation is sometimes used deliberately by educated speakers, as for emphasis or humorous effect.