When it comes to English, several words sound similar, but their meaning is completely different. But there are also some words with the same meaning and sound different. Disingenuous and ingenuine are two of the words used as an alternative to each other, but that’s completely wrong.
Both words can be differentiated in many terms. So, this article focuses on differentiating both these words from their etymology to usage. This article also highlights the differences and other essentials between disingenuous and ingenuine.
Disingenuous vs Ingenuine
The main difference between disingenuous and ingenuine is their meaning. Disingenuous is used for someone who is a bit insincere and dishonest in what they say. On the other hand, the word ingenuine means false and not authentic or genuine.
The word disingenuous is an adjective that is used to describe someone’s behavior that is not sincere or honest. For instance, his disingenuous excuse tricked almost everybody, and they believed it. So, his excuse pretended that he was naïve and simple and had made a mistake.
The word ingenuine is also an adjective that means untrue and something which is not actual or original. For instance, the promise of the political party was ingenuine. So, the promises are completely false which were made by the political party.
Comparison Table Between Disingenuous and Ingenuine
| Parameters of Comparison | Disingenuous | Ingenuine |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation | Someone who is a bit insincere and dishonest in what they say. | This term means false and not authentic or genuine. |
| Synonym | Dishonest, underhand, duplicitous, dissembling, and false | Fake and false |
| Antonym | Frank | Natural, real, true, and authentic |
| Describe | A person’s behavior | Experience, person, and behavior rather than items |
| Example | Disingenuous individuals usually become successful by misleading others. | The smile of Warren was ingenuine. |
What is Disingenuous?
The word disingenuous means which is not truly sincere or honest. This term mainly focuses on the person with a false appearance of being honest or sincere. It can be said that disingenuous describes a person’s behavior.
The base word of disingenuous is ingenuous. It is a Latin adjective that means freeborn or native. During the 17th century, English speakers joined “dis” which is a negative prefix with ingenuous. The other words from disingenuous are disingenuousness which is a noun.
To make the word disingenuous clearer, there are a few examples given below:
- Laura is not so ingenuous as to believe everything Ray says. So, whatever Ray says is somewhere false and not meant to believe and that’s why Laura is dishonest towards Ray’s words.
- Ray’s disingenuous claims of innocence anger Laura. It means that Laura gets frustrated over Ray’s claims which are false because his claims are full of fake innocence.
- Ray is pretending to be as innocent as a newborn lamb, but it seems disingenuous. In this, Ray is somewhere disingenuous because pretending can make the reality false. As he is trying to pretend innocent like a newborn lamb, but he might be guilty.
What is Ingenuine?
Most people incorrectly use the word ingenuine to describe the opposite of genuine. They are generally confused with “ingenuity”, meaning inventive originality, and “ingenuous” meaning gullible. It is better to use “disingenuous” as the antonym of genuine.
The word ingenuine is an adjective that is associated with experiences, behaviors, and persons. It can be cited as back far as the 17th century. Sometimes, people confuse it with “ingenuous” which is a simple malapropism.
To make the word ingenuine clearer, there are a few examples given below:
- Bob’s intention was ingenuine when Leo visited his home. It can be said that the way Bob treated Leo is completely different from how he thinks about Leo. By treating him nicely, Bob hid his false intention.
- An ingenuine experience is given to the tourist, which is related to life in the 1500s. In this, a false experience with the help of technology is made to experience the 1500s. Because it is impossible to go back to the 1500s.
- Bill greeted his teacher in an ingenuine way. So, the teacher might mistreat Bill, but still, he is greeting his teacher to not ruin his image more. He hides his false intention by greeting him.
Main Differences Between Disingenuous and Ingenuine
- The word disingenuous is a combination of “dis” and “ingenuous” which ingenuous is a Latin word. Dis means not and ingenuous means born. But the prefix “in” is attached to the existing word “genuine” in ingenuine. In which “in” is a variant of un and “genuine” means real.
- The word disingenuous in British English means lacking candor or not sincere, whereas the word ingenuine means invalid or irregular and not real or natural.
- Originally, the usage of the word disingenuous differentiated free-born Romans from slaves. On the other hand, ingenuine is a word that can be cited as back far as the 17th century.
- With time, the word disingenuous is started to use as dishonest and complicated. On the flip side, the word ingenuine has been used as false and not authentic.
- According to analysis, the usage of the word disingenuous over 20 years got a boost, whereas the word ingenuine is not in much use compared to disingenuous over 20 years.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that disingenuous is used for someone who is a bit insincere and dishonest in what they say. On the flip side, the word ingenuine means false and not authentic or genuine. Disingenuous describes a person’s behavior, whereas ingenuine describes the experience, person, and behavior.
The word disingenuous is a combination of “dis” and “ingenuous”. Dis means not and ingenuous means born. But the prefix “in” is attached to the existing word “genuine” in ingenuine. In which “in” is a variant of un and “genuine” means real. Dishonest, underhand, duplicitous, dissembling, and false are some of the synonyms of disingenuous, while the synonyms of ingenuine are fake and false.
References
- https://search.proquest.com/openview/1b82558308f84f4abe521162dcc75588/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1820858
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9381437/