BONA FIDE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bona fide mean? 

• BONA FIDE (adjective)
  The adjective BONA FIDE has 2 senses:

1. undertaken in good faith

2. not counterfeit or copied

  Familiarity information: BONA FIDE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BONA FIDE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Undertaken in good faith

Context example:

a bona fide offer

Similar:

sincere (open and genuine; not deceitful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not counterfeit or copied

Synonyms:

authentic; bona fide; unquestionable; veritable

Context example:

photographs taken in a veritable bull ring

Similar:

echt; genuine (not fake or counterfeit)

 Context examples 

HMGA genes are bona fide proto-oncogenes that promote tumor progression and metastasis when overexpressed.

(HMGA Family Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Of the billions of possible free-floating worlds thought to populate our galaxy, some may be very low-mass brown dwarfs, while others may in fact be bona fide planets, kicked out of nascent solar systems.

(Lone Planetary-Mass Object Found in Family of Stars, NASA)

As the President finished reading the paper (which I beg leave to assure my readers is a bona fide copy of one written by bona fide girls once upon a time), a round of applause followed, and then Mr. Snodgrass rose to make a proposition.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"No, he's not," I assured her. "It's a bona fide deal. I happen to know about it."

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

"See!" he cried triumphantly. "It's a bona fide piece of printed matter. It fooled me. This fella's a regular Belasco. It's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop too—didn't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?"

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)