Autentsed

Autentsed is an Estonian adjective meaning genuine, authentic, or original. It is used to describe things that are verifiably real and not counterfeit, as well as claims or information considered credible or trustworthy.

In Estonian, autentsed is the plural nominative form of the base adjective autentne. The word inflects for different cases and numbers like other adjectives in the language. It commonly appears in contexts such as product labeling, museum catalogs, journalism, and academic writing to indicate provenance, accuracy, or faithfulness to the original source.

Usage examples include labeling of objects as autentsed esemed (authentic objects) and describing information as autentsed väited (authentic statements). The term is often contrasted with counterfeit or forged items and with inauthentic or misleading information. Beyond consumer and scholarly contexts, autentsed is also used in cultural and historical discussions to emphasize fidelity to a source or tradition.

Etymology traces autentsed to Western European linguistic families. The Estonian autentne and its plural autentsed are cognate with the English authentic, the German authentisch, and the French authentique, all deriving ultimately from the Greek authentikos via Latin autentĭcus, reflecting a long-standing concept of genuineness and veracity.

See also: authenticity, genuineness, provenance, forgery, credible information.