▪ I. authentic, a. (and n.)
(ɔːˈθɛntɪk)
Forms: 4–5 auctentyke, 4–7 autentik(e, 5 -yk, 5–6 -icke, -yke, 6 attentik, awtentyke, 6–7 aut-, authentique, -ike, -icke, 6–8 -ick, 6– authentic.
[a. OF. autentique (13th c.), ad. L. authentic-us, a. Gr. αὐθεντικός ‘of first-hand authority, original,’ f. αὐθεντία ‘original authority,’ and αὐθέντης ‘one who does a thing himself, a principal, a master, an autocrat,’ f. αὐτ(ο- self + -ἑντης (cf. συνέντης = συνεργός fellow-worker). In 15th c. mis-spelt after L. auctor; in 16th assimilated to the orig. Greek. The development of meaning is involved, and influenced by med.L. and Fr.; senses 3 and 4 seem to combine the ideas of ‘authoritative’ and ‘original.’]
A. adj.
† 1. a. Of authority, authoritative (properly as possessing original or inherent authority, but also as duly authorized); entitled to obedience or respect. Obs.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 7116 Saint Austyn..Whase wordes er auctentyke. 1382 Wyclif Isa. Prol., No goostli vndurstondyng is autentik, no but it be groundid in the text opynli. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 125 The bible, Whiche is a booke autentyke and credible. 1595 Chapman Banq. Sence (1639) 31 Let autentique Reason be our guide. 1630 Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 62 We have an authentique Rule to decide the doubt. 1682 Norris Hierocles 20 To esteem their Sentences as authentick as Laws. 1724 Swift Drapier's Lett. Wks. 1755 V. ii. 105 Some short plain authentick tract might be published for the information both of petty and grand-juries. 1849 Fitzgerald tr. Whitaker's Disput. 332 That is called authentic, which is sufficient to itself, which commends, sustains, proves itself, and hath credit and authority from itself. |
† b. of persons. Obs.
| 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccccxxvii. 749 One of the moost autentyke men of the court of parlyment. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes iii. 160 Doth not appear in any Authentic writer. |
† 2. a. Legally valid, having legal force. Obs.
| 1401 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 80 Of her lettris and of her sele, if autentike thei weren. 1466 Paston Lett. 554 II. 284 Divers old deeds, some without date, insealed under autenticke seales. 1671 J. Flavel Fount. Life vi. 15 What is done by Commission is Authentick. 1723 Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.) Wks. (1753) I. 130 Under the broad authentic seal of heav'n. |
† b. Of persons: Legally or duly qualified, authorized, licensed. Obs.
| c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. 35 Hee is Autentike and a man of age, And hes great practicke of the Chancellarie. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, xxv, With the approbacions and testimonies of fowre sundrie notaries autentique thervnto subscribed. 1601 Shakes. All's Well ii. iii. 14 Of all the learned and authenticke fellowes. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. ii. iii, Why, h'is the most autentique dealer I'these commodities! |
3. a. Entitled to acceptance or belief, as being in accordance with fact, or as stating fact; reliable, trustworthy, of established credit. (The prevailing sense; often used in contradistinction to genuine, esp. by writers on Christian Evidences, while others identify ‘authentic’ and ‘genuine.’ See sense 6.)
| 1369 Chaucer Bk. Duchesse 1086 Though her stories be autentike. 1485 Caxton Trevisa's Higden iv. xxvii. (1527) 174 This is founden in no cronycle that is auctentyke. 1532–3 Act 24 Hen. VIII, xii, By diuers sondrie olde autentike histories, and cronicles it is manifestlie declared and expressed. 1735 Somerville Chase ii. 125 If some stanch Hound, with his authentick Voice Avow the recent Trail. 1739 Chesterfield Lett. 35 I. 117 Authentic means true; something that may be depended upon, as coming from good authority. 1796 Bp. Watson Apol. Bible ii. 183 A genuine book is that which was written by the person whose name it bears as the author of it. An authentic book is that which relates matters of fact as they really happened. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. II. 178 Some portrait..reckoned authentic, which the early painters followed. |
b. of persons (or agents).
| 1561 T. Norton tr. Calvin's Inst. iii. 327 To discredit so many authentike witnesses. 1638 Suckling Aglaura Epil. (1646) 59 When an authentique watch is shewn, Each man windes up and rectifies his own. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1650) I. 375 Some of the authentickest annalists. 1797 Holcroft tr. Stolberg's Trav. IV. xci. (ed. 2) 5 He is an authentic writer. |
† 4. Original, first-hand, prototypical; as opposed to copied. Obs.
| 1581 Lambarde Eiren. iii. iv. (1588) 370 According to the Originall and Autentique Records. 1610 Bp. Carleton Jurisd. 72 They would send for the autentike copies of the Nicen Councell. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 719 On him who had stole Joves authentic fire. 1728 Newton Chronol. Amended vi. 369 The book..was originally copied from Authentic writings. 1822 S. Rogers Italy, Florence 16 To steal a spark from their authentic fire. |
5. Real, actual, ‘genuine.’ (Opposed to imaginary, pretended.) arch.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos vii. 32 To be closed and enuyronned wyth wallis autentyke. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. iii. 188 An Authentick discouragement to the promotion of the Arts and Sciences. a 1704 T. Brown Epigr. Wks. 1730 I. 128 Well might the sage philosophers of old Their justling atoms for authentic hold. 1845 Carlyle Cromwell (1871) I. 66 A faint, authentic twilight. |
6. Really proceeding from its reputed source or author; of undisputed origin, genuine. (Opposed to counterfeit, forged, apocryphal. Cf. note, sense 3.)
| 1790 Paley Hor. Paul. i. 1, I believe the letters authentic, and the narration in the main to be true. 1824 Dibdin Libr. Comp. 27 Every authentic piece from the pens of Tyndal and Coverdale. 1880 Daily News 16 Dec. 5/3 Authentic documents artfully falsified. |
† 7. Belonging to himself, own, proper. Obs.
| 1596 Chapman Iliad viii. 74 Then Nestor cut the gears With his new-drawn authentic sword. 1649 Milton Eikon. xxviii. [For justice] to put her own authentic sword into the hands of an unjust and wicked man. |
† 8. Acting of itself, self-originated, automatic.
| 1765 Tucker Lt. Nat. I. 545 The spontaneous or authentic motions of clock-work. |
9. Mus. Of ecclesiastical modes: Having their sounds comprised within an octave from the final. (For this application, see Grove Dict. Mus. I. 105.) Also, composed in an authentic mode. authentic cadence: that form of perfect cadence in which the (major) chord of the dominant immediately precedes that of the tonic. Opp. to plagal a.
| 1730 Pepusch Harmony x. 80 One of the Parts is in the Authentick, and the Other in the Plagal Mode of the Key we compose in. a 1789 Burney Hist. Mus. II. ii. 81 Guido uses the terms authentic and plagal for the modes. 1806 J. W. Callcott Mus. Gram. 160 The Dominant..derives its name from the ancient Church Tones, in which it was the Fifth in the Authentic, and the Octave in the Plagal Scales, but always a Fifth above the final or modern Tonic. 1873 Banister Music §128 The perfect (formerly termed Authentic) Cadence, or Full Close, consists of the Major Triad on the Dominant, followed by the Triad on the Tonic. 1879 Grove Dict. Mus. I. 105/2 ‘Ein feste Burg’ and ‘Eisenach’ are examples of ‘authentic’ melodies, and the Old 100th and Hanover of ‘plagal’ ones. 1880 Ibid. II. 18/1 When first employed in polyphonic music, the Authentic scale was usually transposed. |
B. n.
† 1. An authoritative book or document. Obs.
| 1599 Thynne Animadv. 42 The proper signyficatione of ‘autenticke’ is, ‘a thinge of auctorytye or credit allowed by menne of auctorytye, or the originall or fyrste archetypum of any thinge.’ 1602 W. Fulbecke Pandects 25 Scripture, the authentike of Religion. |
† 2. An original (document). Obs.
| 1599 [See in sense 1]. 1608 2nd Pt. Def. Reas. Refus. Subscr. 86 Which is to confounde the measure and the mesured..the authentick, and some copie or notes taken out of it. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. i. 42 Principall and Interest, Authenticks and Transcripts, are all imbezzelled. |
3. The Authentics: title given to a collection of the New Constitutions of Justinian.
| 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 21 Iustinians Nouells (which they call authentiques). 1725 tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 17th c. I. ii. ii. 25 Frederick II. in the year 1220, made an Authentick which is inserted in the Justinian Code. 1744 Notes to Peere Williams' Rep. (1826) 52 They are called Novels, because they are new laws; and Authenticks, because they are translated authentically from the Greek tongue. |
† 4. One whose opinion is entitled to acceptance; an authority. Obs. rare.
| 1713 Addison Guardian No. 115 No critick has ever..been looked upon as an authentick, who did not shew by his practice that he was a master of the theory. |
† 5. Mus. = Authentic mode; see A 9. Obs.
| 1609 Douland Ornithop. Microl. 13 Whilest they discend from a Fift to the finall Note, they are Authentickes. |
▪ II. † auˈthentic, v. Obs. rare—1.
[ad. F. authentique-r: see authenticate.]
By-form of authenticate (in passage cited, in sense 3 b).
| c 1595 Daniel Sonnets 52 But I must sing of thee, and those fair eyes Authentic shall my verse in time to come. |