# authentic

/əˈθɛnɪk/ (US) · /ɔːθˈɛntɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/authentic
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. real or genuine

adjective · CEFR B2

real and true; not a copy or a fake.

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

- The museum confirmed that the painting was an authentic work by Picasso.
- Experts spent months verifying the signature to ensure the document was an authentic historical record rather than a clever forgery.

### 2. true to a style

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

- We went to a restaurant that serves authentic Italian pasta.
- The director insisted on using authentic period costumes to maintain the historical integrity of the film's nineteenth-century setting.

### 3. musical modes/cadences

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- The piece ends with an authentic cadence, making the music feel finished.
- The composition is written in an authentic mode, which gives the melody its distinctively grounded and traditional character.

### 4. authoritative

adjective · CEFR C1 · Archaic · Formal

having the power or authority to be believed.

For teachers: possessing authority or being worthy of trust and belief.

- The judge provided an authentic interpretation of the old law.
- The scholar sought an authentic voice on the matter, consulting only those texts written by the original witnesses of the event.

## Examples

- The restaurant serves authentic Italian food.
- The museum verified that the signature on the painting was authentic and not a modern forgery.
- Scholars debate whether the performance was truly authentic, as the musicians used modern strings on their period instruments, potentially altering the intended baroque timbre.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.