bona-fide
UK[ˌbəʊnə ˈfaɪdi]US[ˌboʊnə ˈfaɪdi]
adj
Made, done, or given in good faith; sincere.
adj
Genuine or real.
Morpheme Breakdown
bona
fide
bona
good
fide
faith
Etymology
The term 'bona fide' is a direct borrowing from the Latin phrase 'bona fide', which translates literally as 'in good faith'. In Latin, 'bona' is the feminine ablative form of 'bonus' (good), and 'fide' is the ablative of 'fides' (faith), with the ablative case here expressing the meaning 'with' or 'in'. Originally a legal term, it was used to describe actions or agreements undertaken sincerely, without deception or fraud. Over time, its usage expanded beyond legal contexts into general English to describe anything that is authentic, genuine, or made with honest intent, preserving the core link between the concepts of 'goodness' and 'trust'.
Analysis
Structure: bona (good) + fide (faith)
bona: From Latin 'bonus', meaning 'good'. It is an adjective in its feminine ablative singular form, used adverbially.
fide: From Latin 'fides', meaning 'faith, trust'. It is the ablative singular form of the noun.
Examples
He was a bona fide expert in the field, with decades of experience.
The collector was eager to verify that the painting was a bona fide Picasso.
The offer was made in a bona fide attempt to resolve the dispute.