Au-thĕn’tic or Au-thĕn’tic-al1, a.
a. [Fr. authentique, Pr. authentic, Lat. authenticus, coming from the author, original; Gr. αὐθεντικός, from αὐθέντης, contr. for αὐτοέντης, suicide, a perpetrator or real author of any act, an absolute master, from αὐτός, self, and θείνειν, θεῖναι, to strike, to kill.] 1. Having a genuine original or authority, in opposition to that which is false, fictitious, or counterfeit; being what it purports to be; genuine; true;—applied to things; as, an authentic paper or register.
To be avenged On him who had stole Jove’s authentic fire. Milton.
Sense 2. Of approved authority; true; reliable; trustworthy; as, an authentic writer.
His testimony will be authentical. Beau. & Fl.
Sense 3. (Law.) Vested with all due formalities, and legally attested.
Sense 4. (Mus.) Having an immediate relation to the tonic, in distinction from plagal, having a correspondent relation to the dominant below the tonic.
Synonyms— AUTHENTIC. GENUINE. These words, as here compared, have reference to historical documents. We call a document genuine when it can be traced back ultimately to the author or authors from whom it professes to emanate. We call a document authentic (in the primary sense of the term) when, on the ground of its being thus traced back, it may be relied on as true and authoritative; and in this sense the term is used in respect to legal instruments. But in general literature, it has obtained a wider signification. We can often rely upon statements as true, without knowing the name of the person with whom they originated. Their claim to be believed may rest on collateral evidence of the most unquestionable nature; and such statements are accordingly spoken of as authentic. This secondary sense of the term is now the one most in use. Thus we speak of an authentic report of facts, authentic history, &c. Hence writers on the evidences of our religion speak of the genuineness and the authenticity of the sacred Scriptures; meaning by the former that the books have come down to us uncorrupt from their original sources; and by the latter that they may be relied upon as true and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. Bishop Watson, who took the lead in making this distinction, remarks, “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. A book may be genuine without being authentic, and a book may be authentic without being genuine. The ‘History of the Island Formosa’ is a genuine book: it was written by Psalmanazar; but it is not an authentic book (though it was long esteemed as such, and translated into different languages), for the author, in the latter part of his life, took shame to himself for having imposed upon the world, and confessed that it was a mere romance. ‘Anson’s Voyage’ may be considered as an authentic book: it probably contains a true narrative of the principal events recorded in it; but it is not a genuine book, not having been written by Walter, to whom it is ascribed, but by Robins.”