inauthentic

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UK/ˌɪnɔːˈθɛn.tɪk/US/ˌɪnɔˈθɛn.tɪk/US/ˌɪnɑˈθɛn.tɪk/

adjective

Not authentic or genuine; spurious.

Similar
unauthenticspuriouscounterfeitimitative
OriginEnglish authentic ← Middle English in- ← Latin in- →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectiveinauthentic (comparative more inauthentic, superlative most inauthentic)

comparative more inauthentic · superlative most inauthentic

  1. Not authentic or genuine; spurious.

    But only in recent years, experts say, have they begun routinely disenrolling Indians deemed inauthentic members of a group.

    2011 December 12, James Dao, “In California, Indian Tribes With Casino Money Cast Off Members”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: unauthentic

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveNot authentic or genuine; spurious.

Similar
unauthentic

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivefalse or fake; not what it appears to be

Similar
unauthenticspuriouscounterfeitimitative
Also see
ersatzspuriousunauthentic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Middle Englishin-
  6. Englishin-
  7. Englishauthentic
  8. Englishinauthentic

From in- + authentic. Piecewise doublet of unauthentic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Spanish inauténtico
  • inauténticonot authentic
Cite this entry
APA

inauthentic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inauthentic

MLA

“inauthentic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inauthentic. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inauthentic,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inauthentic.

Source: inauthentic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.