genuinus

Genuinus is a Latin adjective meaning genuine, real, or authentic; it can also convey native origin or rightful birth. In classical and late Latin it described things considered true to their nature or to their origin, as opposed to artificial, forged, or spurious. The masculine form is genuinus, the feminine genuina, and the neuter genuinum; used in agreement with the noun it modifies.

Etymology: The word is typically analyzed as built from a root associated with birth or origin (often linked to genus or genitus) plus the suffix -inus, yielding a sense of “of intrinsic origin” or “proper.” The term closely relates to the modern English genuine, which ultimately derives from genuinus through medieval French.

Uses: In Latin literature, genuinus occurs in contexts affirming authenticity, rightful lineage, or natural character—such as statements about genuine coins, genuine speech (lingua genuina), or a person’s genuine nature. It also appears in philosophical and theological Latin texts to distinguish authentic doctrine from counterfeit or heterodox forms.

Modern significance: Today genuinus is primarily of interest to linguists, philologists, and historians of Latin. It is rarely used in contemporary English outside scholarly Latin phrases. The more common English term is genuine, and genuinus survives chiefly as a historical footnote in dictionaries and commentaries on Latin etymology.