bona fide
BOH-nuh FIDEadjMeaning real; also, made or done in good faith, with no trickery
Memory hook BONE-a FIDO: a REAL bone. Fido sniffs the two bones: one is plastic, but the other is the real thing, a bona fide bone!
After years of lessons, Theo’s big sister is now a bona fide pilot.
In context The letter looked like a trick, but it was a bona fide offer: the company really did want to buy Dev’s invention, and it sent a signed contract to prove it.
Similar genuine, real, true, authentic
Opposite fake, false, phony
Latin for “in good faith”: bona (good) + fide (faith).