Sincerus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Genuine and honest in expression or intention; free from pretense or deceit; displaying true and heartfelt feelings
2. Characterized by truthfulness and authenticity; having no falseness or hypocrisy; exhibiting straightforward and earnest attributes
3. Marked by sincerity and frankness; devoid of insincerity or cunning; showing open and heartfelt sincerity in communication or behavior

Etymology: Latin "sincerus" meant "clean," "pure," or "unmixed," and its earliest uses were physical. A pure wine or undiluted metal was "sincerus," and the word carried no sense of honesty at all. The root is commonly analysed as "sim-" (one, a single) plus "cerus," related to "crescere" (to grow), though that breakdown remains uncertain and the figurative sense of genuineness came later. The shift from purity of substance to purity of character happened gradually in Latin prose, as writers applied the image of an unadulterated thing to a person whose words and feelings were unmixed with pretense. The adjective is the source of the English "sincere," which came in during the sixteenth century, and English kept the same move from the physical to the moral that Latin had already made.

Synonyms: sincere, honest, genuine, truthful, earnest

Antonyms: insincere, dishonest, fake, deceitful