authenticity
aw-then-TISS-uh-tee
/ˌɔːθɛnˈtɪsəti/
The degree to which an individual's actions are congruent with their actual beliefs and desires, despite external pressure.
Implies taking active ownership of choices rather than passively conforming to societal expectations.
The story behind the word. From Greek authentes, meaning 'master, perpetrator, or self-doer'. It originally denoted someone who acts independently with full authority over their own actions.
Word relationships
- genuineness: Genuineness refers to sincerity; authenticity involves conscious resistance against societal bad faith.
- artificiality: The state of being insincere or manufactured to fit an external expectation.
Commonly confused with
- sincerity: Sincerity means honest intention; authenticity in existential thought requires active self-creation.
Word family
- authentic (adjective): Genuine, true to one's own character.
- authentically (adverb): In an authentic manner.
Collocations
- strive for authenticity
- question authenticity
- cultural authenticity
- personal authenticity
Idioms & expressions
- true to oneself
Example sentences
- "Striving for authenticity requires rejecting societal expectations and owning one's personal choices." Ethics
- "The counselor encouraged her clients to live with authenticity rather than pleasing others." Psychology
Memory hook
An AUTHOR writes their own story; AUTHENTICITY means being the author of your life. Author of your own choices.
When not to use
Do not confuse with structural genuineness (e.g. an authentic antique) when discussing psychological character.
Fun facts
- In legal historical Greek, an authentes was someone who committed a deed with their own hand.
Related words
Explore more words
authentic, internalization, Conformity, conform, integrity, volition
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