Pronunciation and usage of "bona fide"


As I am reading books and articles, I come across this bona fide. How do you pronounce this? How do you use it properly?


I know the definition is in good faith, like if you are welcomed to someone's house, the guests are in good faith welcome around the house and not expected to steal anything, or when you test drive a car, it's in good faith you won't run off with it.



Answer



The most common pronunciation in America rhymes with "gonna hide". The Latin pronunciation is more closely approximated by rhyming with "phone a free day". More technical pronunciation help can be found in the guides referenced by others. The main time I have heard people use the latter, Latinate pronunciation is when the term is used in the plural, as in "so-and-so has established his bona fides" (which, it should be noted, is an improper Latin plural, but it's how we say it in English).


The meaning is "in good faith" or "genuine", as you said.


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