faith
1 Americannoun
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confidence or trust in a person or thing.
faith in another's ability.
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belief that is not based on proof.
He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
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belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion.
the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
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belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc..
to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
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a system of religious belief.
the Christian faith;
the Jewish faith.
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the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc..
Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
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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.
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Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.
idioms
noun
noun
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strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence
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a specific system of religious beliefs
the Jewish faith
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Christianity trust in God and in his actions and promises
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a conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp when this is not based on reason
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complete confidence or trust in a person, remedy, etc
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any set of firmly held principles or beliefs
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allegiance or loyalty, as to a person or cause (esp in the phrases keep faith , break faith )
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insincerity or dishonesty
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honesty or sincerity, as of intention in business (esp in the phrase in good faith )
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing faith
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But Lisett Navarrete, a 34-year-old resident, has little faith that they’ll do the job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Now, at the first opportunity, he has walked away from the very people who placed their faith in him."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Half of all pastors say they use AI for brainstorming or idea generation, according to the Barna Group, a firm that studies U.S. faith trends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Ashok Prasad Kushwaha, an auto-rickshaw driver in Delhi who has visited the Ram temple three times in two years, said donations are acts of faith made even by people with modest incomes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
The agreement permitted Catholics to practice their faith, but it forbade activities that the Nazis considered to be functions of the state.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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Faith Kates' lawyer told us in a statement that any claim her client had any knowledge or involvement in Epstein's purported trafficking is false and defamatory.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
On his index finger, Roa has a tattoo: "Faith in God."
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Following the rough-and-tumble scenes of the film’s early going, it builds to a quiet, sustained moment between Jackman, Comer and young Faith Delaney alone together as the life literally drains from Robin’s body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
In 2009, lifelong Beatles fan Faith Cohen launched Global Beatles Day on a wing and a prayer.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
Still, I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t pleased to hear that my dead buddy had told Faith a couple good things about me.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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And it’s something to watch faiths whose adherents are at war with each other elsewhere in the world come together here in bonhomie to toast the Constitution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
McLoughlin said Sylvia Merrigan helped her organise the event and it brought communities and people from different faiths and backgrounds together.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Somerville said Scotland had a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge and asylum from war and persecution.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Mr. Landor’s case is evidence it isn’t, and Congress can act for religious prisoners of all faiths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
He was painfully aware that he lacked the ecclesiastical aplomb and savoir-faire that enabled so many of his colleagues in other faiths and sects to get ahead.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.