Part 453

2. Authoritative. [Obs.] Milton.

3. Of approved authority; true; trustworthy; credible; as, an authentic writer; an authentic portrait; authentic information.

4. (Law) Vested with all due formalities, and legally attested.

5. (Mus.) Having as immediate relation to the tonic, in distinction from plagal, which has a correspondent relation to the dominant in the octave below the tonic.

Syn. -- 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 These words, as here compared, have reference to historical documents.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. Hence, the word has the meaning, "not changed from the original, uncorrupted, unadulterated:" as, a genuine text. We call a document authentic when, on the ground of its being thus traced back, it may be relied on as true and authoritative (from the primary sense of "having an author, vouched for"); hence its extended signification, in general literature, of trustworthy, as resting on unquestionable authority or evidence; as, an authentic history; an authentic report of facts.

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. Bp. Watson.

It may be said, however, that some writers use authentic (as, an authentic document) in the sense of "produced by its professed author, not counterfeit."

Au*then"tic, n. An original (book or document). [Obs.] "Authentics and transcripts." Fuller.

Au*then"tic*al (&?;), a. Authentic. [Archaic]

Au*then"tic*al*ly, adv. In an authentic manner; with the requisite or genuine authority.

Au*then*tic*al*ness, n. The quality of being authentic; authenticity. [R.] Barrow.

Au*then"ti*cate (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Authenticated (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Authenticating (&?;).] [Cf. LL. authenticare.] 1. To render authentic; to give authority to, by the proof, attestation, or formalities required by law, or sufficient to entitle to credit.

The king serves only as a notary to authenticate the choice of judges. Burke.

2. To prove authentic; to determine as real and true; as, to authenticate a portrait. Walpole.

Au`then*tic"i*ty (&?;), n. [Cf. F. authenticité.] 1. The quality of being authentic or of established authority for truth and correctness.

2. Genuineness; the quality of being genuine or not corrupted from the original.

In later writers, especially those on the evidences of Christianity, authenticity is often restricted in its use to the first of the above meanings, and distinguished from qenuineness.

Au*then"tic*ly (&?;), adv. Authentically.

Au*then"tic*ness, n. The quality of being authentic; authenticity. [R.] Hammond.

Au*then"tics (&?;), n. (Ciwil Law) A collection of the Novels or New Constitutions of Justinian, by an anonymous author; -- so called on account of its authenticity. Bouvier.

Au"thor ("thr), n. [OE. authour, autour, OF. autor, F. auteur, fr. L. auctor, sometimes, but erroneously, written autor or author, fr. augere to increase, to produce. See Auction, n.] 1. The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; hence, the efficient cause of a thing; a creator; an originator.

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Eternal King; thee, Author of all being. Milton.

2. One who composes or writes a book; a composer, as distinguished from an editor, translator, or compiler.

The chief glory of every people arises from its authors. Johnson.

3. The editor of a periodical. [Obs.]

4. An informant. [Archaic] Chaucer.

Au"thor ("thr), v. t. 1. To occasion; to originate. [Obs.]