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REFERENCE

authentic

adj.
US //əˈθɛnɪk// UK //ɔːθˈɛntɪk// au·then·tic
  1. 1 real or genuine (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    real and true; not a copy or a fake.

    of undisputed origin; genuine and not a counterfeit or copy.

    Example

    The museum confirmed that the painting was an authentic work by Picasso.

    Example

    Experts spent months verifying the signature to ensure the document was an authentic historical record rather than a clever forgery.
  2. 2 true to a style (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    made or done in a traditional way so that it feels real.

    conforming to an original or traditional style, especially in cooking, art, or performance.

    Example

    We went to a restaurant that serves authentic Italian pasta.

    Example

    The director insisted on using authentic period costumes to maintain the historical integrity of the film's nineteenth-century setting.
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  1. 3 musical modes/cadences (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Music

    a technical word used to describe certain types of scales or endings in music.

    designating a musical mode where the final is the lowest note, or a cadence where the dominant chord precedes the tonic.

    Example

    The piece ends with an authentic cadence, making the music feel finished.

    Example

    The composition is written in an authentic mode, which gives the melody its distinctively grounded and traditional character.
    • plagal
  2. 4 authoritative (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Archaic Formal

    having the power or authority to be believed.

    possessing authority or being worthy of trust and belief.

    Example

    The judge provided an authentic interpretation of the old law.

    Example

    The scholar sought an authentic voice on the matter, consulting only those texts written by the original witnesses of the event.
Origin

From Middle English authentik, from Old French autentique, from Latin authenticus, from Ancient Greek αὐθεντικός (authentikós, “authentic, genuine”), from Ancient Greek αὐθέντης (authéntēs, “perpetrator, murderer, absolute ruler”). Doublet of effendi.

Word family

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