# authentic

Pronunciation: US say "aw-THEN-tik" /ɔˈθɛn.tɪk/; UK say "o-THEN-tik" /ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/

## Adjective

1. Genuine, and truly originating from the source or maker that is claimed.
   - Simple: Real and not a fake, copy, or imitation.
   - _Experts verified that the signature on the will was authentic._
   - _The restaurant serves authentic regional dishes prepared the traditional way._
2. In agreement with reality, and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.
   - Simple: True to the facts, so people can trust and believe it.
   - _Historians regard the soldier's diary as an authentic record of the siege._
   - _Her authentic description of the crash convinced the jury._
3. Describing a cadence in which the dominant chord moves directly to the tonic chord.
   - Simple: Describing a musical ending that moves to the home note to sound complete.
   - _The composer chose an authentic cadence to bring the movement to a firm close._
   - _Each phrase resolves through an authentic cadence back into the home key._
4. Designating a mode in which the final serves as the lowest note of the scale.
   - Simple: Describing a kind of musical scale whose main note is also its lowest note.
   - _Medieval theorists classified each chant melody as either an authentic mode or a plagal one._
   - _The piece is set in an authentic mode, rising from the final upward._

## Adjective

5. Vested with recognized authority, and therefore carrying the weight to command obedience and belief. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Having official power and the right to be obeyed.

## Origin

The word came into Middle English as authentik from Old French autentique, which came from Latin authenticus. That came from Ancient Greek authentikós ("authentic, genuine"), from authéntēs ("perpetrator, murderer, absolute ruler"). It is a doublet of effendi.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/authentic (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).