authenticity
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the quality of being real or true, and not a copy or a lie.
the quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original; having the same origin or attribution as claimed.
Simple“The museum checked the authenticity of the painting before buying it.”
In context“Art historians spent months verifying the authenticity of the manuscript, comparing the ink and paper to other documents from the same period.”
UsageUsually uncountable; often followed by the preposition 'of'.
SynonymsAntonymsfalsenessartificiality - 02 C1 Advanced
the quality of being honest about your own personality and feelings.
the degree to which an individual's actions are congruent with their beliefs and desires, despite external pressures.
Simple“People liked the politician because of her authenticity and direct way of speaking.”
In context“In modern leadership theory, authenticity is considered a vital trait for building trust and long-term engagement within a team.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is very common in modern psychology and business contexts; it refers to 'being yourself' rather than just 'being real'.
“Announcing the change , external , Spotify says "true artist-fan connection can only be built on a foundation of trust and authenticity".”
“Spotify said: “True artist-fan connection can only be built on a foundation of trust and authenticity.”
From authentic + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.