bona fide

/ˈboʊnə faɪd/

/ˈbʌʊnə faɪd/

Something bona fide is the real deal, the real McCoy, genuine — it's not a fake or a counterfeit.

We talk about things being bona fide when we're interested in how real or genuine they are. A counterfeit hundred dollar bill is not bona fide. When you earn your college diploma you're a bona fide college graduate. If you spend your whole life studying music, you're a bona fide musician. The opposite of bona fide is fake. We also say people make a bona fide effort: they're making a true, sincere attempt to do something.

Definitions of bona fide

1. adjective

   not counterfeit or copied
   “a bona fide manuscript”

   synonyms: authentic, unquestionable, veritable

   echt, genuine

   not fake or counterfeit
2. adjective

   undertaken in good faith
   “a bona fide offer”

   synonyms:

   sincere

   open and genuine; not deceitful