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 = ουνεργός 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. Of authority, authoritative (properly as possessing original or inherent authority, but also as duly authorized); entitled to obedience or respect. Obs.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 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. Occleve, 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.
1734. 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, trans. 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. 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. 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. Shaks., 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. 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. Chesterf., 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, trans. 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, trans. 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. Or ecclesiastical modes: Having their sounds comprised within an octave from the final. (For this application, see Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 105.)
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.
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.
B. sb.
† 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. 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. trans. 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.
