AUTHENTIC • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Authentic

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/əθˈɛntɪk/ /ɔθˈɛntɪk/ /ɔθˈɛnɪk/ /əθˈɛnɪk/ Listen

adjective

Authentic adj.

1.

Having a genuine original or authority, in opposition to that which is false, fictitious, counterfeit, or apocryphal; being what it purports to be; genuine; not of doubtful origin; real; as, an authentic paper or register. "To be avenged On him who had stole Jove's authentic fire."

2.

Authoritative. (Obs.)

3.

Of approved authority; true; trustworthy; credible; as, an authentic writer; an authentic portrait; authentic information.

4.

(Law) Vested with all due formalities, and legally attested.

5.

(Mus.) Having as immediate relation to the tonic, in distinction from plagal, which has a correspondent relation to the dominant in the octave below the tonic.

Synonyms: Authentic, Genuine. These words, as here compared, have reference to historical documents. We call a document genuine when it can be traced back ultimately to the author or authors from whom it professes to emanate. Hence, the word has the meaning, "not changed from the original, uncorrupted, unadulterated:" as, a genuine text. We call a document authentic when, on the ground of its being thus traced back, it may be relied on as true and authoritative (from the primary sense of "having an author, vouched for"); hence its extended signification, in general literature, of trustworthy, as resting on unquestionable authority or evidence; as, an authentic history; an authentic report of facts. "A genuine book is that which was written by the person whose name it bears, as the author of it. An authentic book is that which relates matters of fact as they really happened. A book may be genuine without being, authentic, and a book may be authentic without being genuine." Note: It may be said, however, that some writers use authentic (as, an authentic document) in the sense of "produced by its professed author, not counterfeit."

noun

Authentic n. An original (book or document). (Obs.) "Authentics and transcripts."

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Etymology of 'Authentic'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Authentic" Quotes from Famous Books

... when the marriage is to take place, if the captain can get out of his debts, the exact amount of which Old Tom knows. He can tell us, too, the reason why she "jawaubed" him so often, being put up to it by her mother in the interests of a rival suitor, and he has authentic information as to the real grounds of the mother's change of tactics. But Old Tom is himself dependent on Ayahs, and there are matters beyond his range, matters which even in an Indian station cannot reach us by any male channel. They trickle ...

— Behind the Bungalow • EHA

... off at once to the newspaper to see how authentic their information was, and then he was going on to the Colemans. [MOLES enters Left in answer to the bell.] Moles, bring me ...

— Her Own Way - A Play in Four Acts • Clyde Fitch

... Imperial and Royal officials in Serbia and the point dealing with the removal of officers and civil servants to be designated by us, seemed to him to be unacceptable in their present form. With regard, to the first two points, I was in a position to give an authentic interpretation in the sense of your excellency's telegram of the 25th instant; with regard to the third, I expressed the opinion that it was a necessary demand. Moreover, matters had already been set in motion. The Serbians had mobilized on ...

— The Story of the Great War, Volume I (of 8) - Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers • Various

... pretensions to his name and title? Certainly not. Leave this matter to me; I think of a way that will oblige him to meet me at the house of a third person who is known to all the parties concerned, and where we will have authentic witnesses of all that passes between him and me. I will devise the time, place, and manner, ...

— The Old English Baron • Clara Reeve

... a blaze of eighteenth century glory, only with her authentic costume cunningly contrived to reveal more of her wonderful white body than any woman of that period would have done, and beautiful in his velvet and ruffles, Gerald Height followed her to thereupon enact a scene which was a slow and marvellous ...

— Blue-grass and Broadway • Maria Thompson Daviess

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