authentic
/ɔːˈθentɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈθentɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈthen-tik ȯ-/ (ame, mw)
authentic — adjective
1. If a thing is described as authentic, you can be sure it really is what someone
If a thing is described as authentic, you can be sure it really is what someone has claimed — not a fake, a copy, or something pretending to be it.
Maria refused to buy the painting until the gallery confirmed it was authentic.
predicative: be authentic for verifying objects
The museum displayed an authentic Roman coin found near the harbor in Ostia.
attributive: authentic + noun (object/artefact)
Customs officers can quickly tell whether a passport is authentic or has been altered.
The signature on the letter looked authentic, but the handwriting expert had doubts.
Collectors will pay a high price for an authentic first edition of the novel.
- fake
informal antonym for objects and signatures
- counterfeit
specifically about money, documents, or branded goods made to deceive
- forged
of documents or signatures created illegally
用法筆記
Often appears in contexts where forgery, imitation, or fraud is a real concern (paintings, documents, signatures, designer goods). Frequently paired with verbs of verification: prove, confirm, certify, declare.
常見錯誤
2. Not the original itself, but made or done in a way that closely captures the loo
Not the original itself, but made or done in a way that closely captures the look, taste, or feel of a particular tradition, place, or time period — for example, food cooked the old village way, or a film set built to match an exact decade.
The small restaurant in Naples serves the most authentic pizza Lucia had ever tasted.
collocation: authentic + cuisine/dish (true to tradition)
Daniel wore an authentic samurai costume he had ordered from a workshop in Kyoto.
authentic + costume/replica (faithful to original)
The film crew built an authentic 1920s street, complete with gas lamps and wooden carts.
Grandma's recipe gives the curry an authentic flavour that no shop sauce can match.
At the Kyoto ryokan, Hiroshi served Emma an authentic kaiseki dinner on lacquered trays.
- traditional
stresses that something follows old customs, not that it copies a specific original
- true-to-life
informal; used for re-creations that feel realistic
- faithful
as in 'a faithful reproduction'; emphasises careful matching of details
- imitation
a poor or cheap copy that does not capture the original
- modernised
changed from the traditional version to suit modern tastes
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 says the item itself is the original; this sense says the item is a faithful copy or close re-creation. Common with food, music, costumes, decor, and cultural experiences.
常見錯誤
3. An account, report, or piece of information called authentic is one that you can
An account, report, or piece of information called authentic is one that you can trust because it matches the facts of what really happened.
Historians regard the soldier's diary as the only authentic account of the battle.
collocation: authentic account / report / record
The journalist worked hard to give an authentic picture of life in the refugee camp.
authentic + picture/description (true-to-facts)
Inspector Cole found an authentic eyewitness report of the train robbery in the station archive.
The book gives an authentic record of how families lived during the long winter of 1947.
- false
general antonym
- unreliable
suggests the source cannot be trusted, not that it is invented
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about whether an OBJECT is really itself (a real Picasso); this sense is about whether an ACCOUNT or REPORT matches the truth. Subject is usually a noun like account, report, record, picture, or witness.