Phoniness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The trait of being false or lacking genuineness combines pretension and deception in personal interactions
2. A characteristic marked by a deficiency of authenticity reveals an inclination towards superficiality and insincerity
3. The quality of being insincere or deceptive suggests a facade of authenticity while concealing true intentions or feelings

Etymology: "Phoniness" is a plain formation: the adjective "phony" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. Suffixes like this have been part of English since Old English, when "-nes" attached to adjectives to name their state or condition. Its Middle English form "-nesse" and its modern form "-ness" grew out of that same pattern, so "phoniness" follows the ordinary route for any adjective-to-quality noun. The result is a noun meaning the quality of being fake or insincere, used most often for people, performances, or pretensions that seem false on closer look.

Synonyms: insincerity, falseness, deceit, pretentiousness, hypocrisy

Antonyms: genuineness, sincerity, authenticity, truthfulness, honesty