Logo - Feel The Words

Bona Fide Quotes

On what counts as genuine, credible, and real.

These quotes use 'bona fide' the way it's meant — marking out who or what is actually credible, from bona fide negotiating partners in a hostage crisis to doctors whose affidavits are supposed to settle a dispute. One even stretches it into a personal creed: being bona fide real with the people you talk to.

Tyler Perry's 'Madea Goes to Jail!' Which, I have to tell you, of everything that I've ever done in my career, that's the only thing that's perked up the ears of my nieces and nephews. That is it, that's done...

Quotes by Viola Davis

I'm passionate about everything, like my family and friends. Anybody I am talkin' to is gonna be bona fide real. There is no substitution for happiness. Period.

Quotes by Suge Knight

I was actually born in New York City, but my family moved to Atlantic City when I was five, this being my dad's home town, so I think that qualifies me as a Jersey resident if not a bona fide...

Quotes by Sharon Kay Penman

Don't learn to do, but learn in doing. Let your falls not be on a prepared ground, but let them be bona fide falls in the rough and tumble of the world.

Quotes by Samuel Butler

Acting Quotes

Does a bona fide chimichurri have cilantro in it? Who cares? Cooking for your family, unless your family includes Joel Rubouchon, is liberating in that regard.

Quotes by Rumaan Alam

I'm dealing in rock'n'roll. I'm, like, I'm not a bona fide human being.

Quotes by Phil Spector

The federal government of Nigeria has always preferred to talk to bona fide Boko Haram leaders about the release of the Chibok girls, but we must have a credible person or persons that will intervene, preferably United Nations or NGOs.

Quotes by Muhammadu Buhari

And they talk about their bona fide doctors. They have a list of doctors that signed affidavits from looking at a picture of Terry. That's where they get their information from, by looking at a picture.

Quotes by Michael Schiavo

There are no bona fide treatments available for embryonic stem cells. There is nothing in the laboratory, and there is certainly nothing in the clinics available to patients.

Quotes by Michael C. Burgess

Actress Quotes

It seemed like whenever I got a bona fide offer from Ferrari, I couldn't do it. And vice versa - when I was ready, their seats were taken. We always had a relationship, but what's important is that I pretty...

Quotes by Mario Andretti

It's a matter of the heart... I take teaching at Harvard very seriously and supervision of my students very seriously. Harvard should have a bona fide commitment to me.

Quotes by Margaret Geller

In 2007, Lindsay Lohan seemed to be on top of the world, a bona fide star who had her pick of acting gigs. But it wasn't long before the veneer cracked, and Lindsay's life began to shatter.

Quotes by Jane Velez-Mitchell

I believe Donald Trump is a bona fide authoritarian. I am deeply concerned that if he were president of the United States, he would act accordingly.

Quotes by Evan McMullin

After all the work I've done, why should I suddenly be treated as a bona fide actress?

Quotes by Eva Gabor

Alone Quotes

One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.

Quotes by Edward Abbey

I have a former Baltimore City police officer's uniform and his robe and hood. He was the grand dragon, which means state leader. His day job, what paid his bills, he was a Baltimore City police officer, not an undercover...

Quotes by Daryl Davis

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'bona fide' mean in the quotes here?
In every example it marks something as genuinely credible — bona fide negotiating partners, bona fide doctors with real affidavits, or simply being bona fide real with the people around you.
Why would this phrase come up in a hostage or conflict context?
One quote discusses needing bona fide leaders to negotiate the release of the Chibok girls, showing how the phrase gets used to separate legitimate representatives from people without real standing.
Is there a lighter, more personal use of the phrase on this page?
Yes — one speaker describes being 'bona fide real' with family and friends, turning a fairly formal legal-sounding term into a personal statement about honesty.
Does this collection touch on movies or entertainment?
There's a passing mention of a Tyler Perry film as a career highlight, though most of the collection leans on the word's more literal sense of credibility.
What's a good related page to browse next?
Since honesty and authenticity run through several of these lines, Always quotes make a fitting follow-up.

Even a passing mention of a movie career leans on the same idea — that some things only count if they're the genuine article. Explore more in Acting or Always quotes.