Vocabulary
Bona fide meaning: genuine and made in good faith
A ticket may look real, but does it come from the event organizer? Bona fide helps you say that something is genuine rather than false or pretending.
Use bona fide for a person, thing, reason, or attempt that is genuine or made honestly and without an intention to deceive.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
bona fide /ˌbəʊnə ˈfaɪdi/
The short answer
Bona fide means genuine and not false. It can also mean made honestly, without an intention to trick someone.
The landlord accepted the tenant's bona fide reason for requesting more time.
Why it works: The reason is sincere and honest, not an excuse invented to mislead the landlord.
3 more examples
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Only bona fide residents could apply for the local parking permit.
The rule applies to people who truly live in the area, not people who only claim to live there.
Not this:Only
temporary residentscould apply for the local parking permit. What changes: Temporary describes length of stay. Bona fide describes whether the claim to be a resident is genuine. -
She made a bona fide attempt to correct the error before the meeting.
She tried sincerely; the phrase says her effort was honest even if it did not solve everything.
Not this:She made
a quick attemptto correct the error before the meeting. What changes: Quick tells us about speed. Bona fide tells us that the effort was sincere and made in good faith. -
The museum asked visitors to buy tickets from a bona fide seller.
The seller is legitimate, so the tickets are less likely to be fake or obtained dishonestly.
Not this:The museum asked visitors to buy tickets from
a nearby seller. What changes: Nearby tells us about location. Bona fide tells us that the seller is genuine and legitimate.
Read the full guide
Use bona fide when you need to show that a person or thing is real, sincere, or honest. In ordinary conversation, genuine is often the simpler choice.
Start with genuine
Bona fide often answers a simple question: is this real? It can describe a person, document, offer, or business that is genuine rather than fake or pretending.
The club checked that each applicant was a bona fide member of the organization.
Use it for honest intentions
Bona fide can also show that someone acted sincerely and without trying to deceive anyone. This sense is useful when an action, reason, or mistake is being examined closely.
The editor treated the missing citation as a bona fide mistake.
Put it before the noun
Use bona fide before the word it describes. Common combinations include bona fide customer, bona fide offer, bona fide reason, and bona fide attempt.
The company gave a refund to customers with a bona fide complaint.
Choose a simpler word when it fits
Bona fide is formal. In a casual message, genuine, real, or honest may sound more natural. Choose bona fide when the formal tone or the idea of good faith adds something useful.
A genuine apology is real. A bona fide apology is real and may stress that the speaker means it sincerely.
Choose the word in context
A buyer has proof of payment and is seriously interested in completing the sale. Is bona fide a good choice for the buyer?
Yes. A bona fide buyer is a genuine buyer with a sincere intention to complete the purchase.
Before you go
Remember this
Use bona fide before a noun when you mean genuine, real, or honestly made. It is especially useful for reasons, attempts, customers, members, offers, and sellers.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Bona fide meaning: genuine and made in good faith"
What does bona fide mean?
Bona fide means genuine, real, or made honestly and without an intention to deceive.
Only bona fide residents could apply for the local parking permit.
Is bona fide one word or two?
It is usually written as two words: bona fide. Use the lesson examples to choose the meaning and sentence pattern that fit your context.
Only temporary residents could apply for the local parking permit.
Can bona fide describe a person?
Yes. A bona fide customer, buyer, or member is a real person who genuinely has that role.
She made a bona fide attempt to correct the error before the meeting.
What is the difference between bona fide and genuine?
Both can mean real. Bona fide is more formal and can also stress that an action or reason was made in good faith.
She made a quick attempt to correct the error before the meeting.
How do you pronounce bona fide?
Say BOH-nuh FY-dee. The strongest stress is on FY. Use the lesson examples to choose the meaning and sentence pattern that fit your context.
The museum asked visitors to buy tickets from a bona fide seller.
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