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Sincerity vs Earnest - What's the difference?

sincerity | earnest |

As nouns the difference between sincerity and earnest

is that sincerity is the quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense while earnest is gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.

As a verb earnest is

to be serious with; use in earnest.

As an adjective earnest is

serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant.

As a proper noun Earnest is

a given name derived from Germanic, an occasional spelling variant of Ernest.

sincerity

English

Noun

(wikipedia sincerity)
  • The quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense.
  • * :
    • I protest, in the sincerity of love.
  • * Knox:
    • Sincerity is a duty no less plain than important.
  • *
    • Sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

    Synonyms

    * honesty * sincereness

    Antonyms

    * insincerity

    Related terms

    * sincere

    References

    (Webster 1913)

    earnest

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) ernest, eornest, from (etyl) eornest, eornost, .

    Noun

    (-)
  • Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest .
  • * Shakespeare
    • given in earnest what I begged in jest
  • Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to jesting or feigned appearance); fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.
    • Derived terms
    * earnestful * in earnest

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be serious with; use in earnest.
  • * 1602 , Pastor Fido:
    • Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) eornest, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant.
  • Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavour; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; — used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers .
  • Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention .
  • Possessing or characterised by seriousness; strongly bent; intent.
    • an earnest disposition
  • Strenuous; diligent.
    • earnest efforts
  • Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; not trifling or feigned; important.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Etymology 3

    Of uncertain origin; apparently related to (erres). Compare also (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 365:
    • But if all this was viewed by Gladstone and the Cabinet as an earnest of St Petersburg's future good intentions in Central Asia, then disillusionment was soon to follow.

    See also

    * Earnest * earnest money

    Anagrams

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