Bona fide vs. bonified: Surprise! “Bonified” is a word .
Writing for Business
Which is correct?
Amid all the vendor hype, it’s hard to understand the ________ benefits of cloud computing.
a. bona fide
b. bonified
Answer: a
Explanation:
Bona fide is a Latin term meaning in good faith. It’s more often used to mean authentic these days. Bonified is a common misspelling for it — and one that attracts a lot of mockery — but it’s actually a word. Bonify is a somewhat archaic term that means to make something good, especially something that was bad before. Both the bona of bona fide and the bon of bonify come from the Latin word for good, bonus.
Wordnik lists these among mistaken examples of bonified online:
- “At this point, the only thing that will change anything is a bonified miracle of the highest kind.”
Face It, Progs: Obama’s a Dud « Antiwar.com Blog - “It amazes me what the art community will accept as bonified art.”
Situational Taxidermy - “My father, a 52-year-old bonified curmudgeon, has not viewed any movie trailer in the last ten years with anything other than codified disinterest.”
2008 June « the balcony fool
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