sincerity

sincerity — noun

1. When someone acts with sincerity, they genuinely mean what they say and do not h

1.nounB2
Definition

When someone acts with sincerity, they genuinely mean what they say and do not hide their real thoughts or feelings from others.

Example

The sincerity of Aylin's apology convinced her classmates to forgive her.

In all sincerity, Eshe believes the new policy will help small farmers survive.

fixed phrase: 'in all sincerity'

Common collocations
  • deep sincerity
  • complete sincerity
  • genuine sincerity
  • absolute sincerity
  • question the sincerity of
  • doubt the sincerity of
  • lack of sincerity
  • sincerity in [someone's] words
  • sincerity in [someone's] voice
  • with great sincerity
Synonyms
  • honesty

    more general term for truthfulness; sincerity adds emotional authenticity and lack of pretense

  • genuineness

    very close in meaning; sincerity often carries stronger moral weight in interpersonal contexts

  • candor

    emphasises openness and frankness, sometimes to the point of bluntness; sincerity is warmer and more considerate

Antonyms
  • insincerity

    direct opposite: pretending to feel or believe something you do not

  • hypocrisy

    stronger term that implies claiming beliefs or virtues one does not actually hold

  • deceit

    focuses on actively misleading others rather than merely lacking genuineness

Grammar Patterns

in all sincerity

sincerity + of + noun

with sincerity

Usage Note

Sincerity is uncountable and cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. It frequently appears with intensifying adjectives such as 'deep', 'great', 'complete', and 'genuine'. The fixed expression 'in all sincerity' is used to emphasise that you are being completely honest before stating an opinion.

Common Mistakes

I appreciate your sincerely.
I appreciate your sincerity.
'Sincerely' is an adverb; the noun form is 'sincerity'.
She spoke with a sincerity that moved everyone.
She spoke with sincerity that moved everyone.
'Sincerity' is uncountable and does not take the article 'a'.
I doubt about his sincerity.
I doubt his sincerity.
The verb 'doubt' takes a direct object; no preposition is needed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sincerity, honesty, candor, and genuineness all describe truthfulness, but they differ in flavour. Honesty is the broadest term and focuses on not lying or stealing — you can be honest about unpleasant facts without emotional warmth. Candor emphasises open, direct speech, sometimes to the point of bluntness; a candid remark may be honest but not necessarily kind. Genuineness is the closest synonym to sincerity but feels slightly more informal and is used more often for personal character than for specific statements. Sincerity carries a warm, relational quality — it is about meaning what you say from the heart, especially in apologies, praise, or promises. For instance, 'I appreciate your honesty' could refer to someone admitting a mistake, whereas 'I appreciate your sincerity' suggests the person truly meant their apology.

sincerity ↗honesty ↗candorgenuineness

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in all sincerity
  • with great sincerity
  • lack of sincerity
  • sincerity of purpose

Prepositions

  • with sincerity
  • in all sincerity

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Sincerity comes from the Latin word 'sincerus', which originally meant 'clean, pure, sound, or whole' — describing something that had not been mixed with anything else. It entered English through French in the 1500s, and its meaning shifted from physical purity to moral purity: being 'unmixed' with pretense or deception.