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• faith
  faith

  noun

  confidence or trust in a person or thing.
• Faith
  Faith

  noun

  a female given name.

faith

¹ American  

[feyth] / feɪθ /

noun

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing.

   faith in another's ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof.

   He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion.

   the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc..

   to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief.

   the Christian faith;

   the Jewish faith.

6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc..

   Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc..

   He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

8. Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

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idioms

1. in faith, in truth; indeed.

   In faith, he is a fine lad.

Faith ² American  

[feyth] / feɪθ /

noun

1. a female given name.

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faith British  

/ feɪθ /

noun

1. strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence

2. a specific system of religious beliefs

   the Jewish faith

3. Christianity trust in God and in his actions and promises

4. a conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp when this is not based on reason

5. complete confidence or trust in a person, remedy, etc

6. any set of firmly held principles or beliefs

7. allegiance or loyalty, as to a person or cause (esp in the phrases keep faith , break faith )

8. insincerity or dishonesty

9. honesty or sincerity, as of intention in business (esp in the phrase in good faith )

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interjection

1. archaic indeed; really (also in the phrases by my faith , in faith )

faith More Idioms  

1. see act of faith; in bad (good) faith; leap of faith; on faith; pin one's hopes (faith) on.

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Other Word Forms

• multifaith
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of faith

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English feith, from Anglo-French fed, Old French feid, feit, from Latin fidem, accusative of fidēs “trust,” derivative of fīdere “to trust”; see confide

Explanation

When you have faith, you trust or believe in something very strongly. Some people have faith in a higher being, others put their faith behind the Red Sox. This noun comes from the Old French word feid, meaning “faith, belief, trust, confidence, pledge.” It's often used when describing religion or the supernatural: people have faith in God, or actually refer to the religion they practice as their faith. Some choose to have the same amount of faith in a good friend or a well written recipe — anything that will come through for them in a time of need.

Example Sentences

Faith, family, and national identity — long central themes — have moved from the background to the foreground.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Although she does not live in Shrewsbury, Faith said the location of the bench still meant something to her because of its proximity to her new business.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Faith Parum, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the rise in fertilizer and diesel prices follows last year’s tariff-related trade disruption and several years of natural disasters, including droughts and freezes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

High-profile figures have backed the protest, including Sir Lenny Henry and Paloma Faith, while singer Billy Bragg was expected to attend and Leigh-Anne Pinnock is set to perform at a music event in Trafalgar Square.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

“Geez,” Faith kept saying, leaning forward, squinting into the storm, both hands squeezing the wheel.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• church
• conviction
• denomination
• doctrine
• principle
• religion
• sect
• teaching