autênticos

Autênticos is the plural masculine form of the Portuguese adjective autêntico, meaning genuine or real, not counterfeit. The feminine plural is autênticas, and autêntico can also function as a noun in some contexts, with autênticos used to refer to people who embody genuineness. The term is common in both European and Brazilian Portuguese and across Portuguese-speaking communities.

Etymology and grammar: autêntico comes from Latin authenticus, passing through medieval Latin and Old French authentique into Portuguese. The diacritic ê marks the stressed syllable, and the tilde over ã indicates nasalization. In standard Portuguese, the plural forms follow regular gender and number: autêntico, autênticos; autêntica, autênticas.

Usage: autêntico describes objects, experiences, or performances that are not counterfeit, as in produto autêntico, sabor autêntico, or experiência autêntica. It is frequently used in marketing and cultural discourse to signal fidelity to origin or tradition. In philosophical and literary contexts, autêntico relates to authenticity (autenticidade) as a quality of being true to oneself or to an original source, a central theme in existential and phenomenological thought.

See also and related terms: authenticity in Portuguese is autenticidade; related adjectives include genuíno, verdadeiro and legítimo. In everyday speech, identifying something autêntico often involves reference to origin, craft, and consistency with expected standards or cultural norms.