confidence
Americannoun
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full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.
We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.
- Synonyms:
- dependence, reliance, faith
- Antonyms:
- mistrust
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belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.
His lack of confidence defeated him.
-
certitude; assurance.
He described the situation with such confidence that the audience believed him completely.
-
a secret that is confided or imparted trustfully.
The friends exchanged many confidences over the years.
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see vote of confidence.
-
presumption; impudence.
Her disdainful look crushed the confidence of the brash young man.
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Archaic. something that gives confidence; ground of trust.
idioms
noun
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a feeling of trust in a person or thing
I have confidence in his abilities
-
belief in one's own abilities; self-assurance
-
trust or a trustful relationship
take me into your confidence
-
something confided or entrusted; secret
-
as a secret
Usage
What does confidence mean? Confidence is full trust or belief in the reliability of someone or something, The fans had confidence that their team would win. Confidence is also a belief in one’s self, also called self-confidence. If you have confidence in yourself that you can earn a spot on the basketball team, you believe you can get on the team. Confidence is also a certitude about something, as in When you walk with confidence, people pay attention to you. A confidence is also a secret that you share with someone. To take someone into your confidence is to share a secret with them, trusting that they won’t share it with anyone else. Example: He showed confidence during the interview so I think he is the better candidate for the position.
Related Words
See trust. Confidence, assurance both imply a faith in oneself. Confidence may imply trust in oneself or arrogant self-conceit. Assurance implies even more sureness of oneself; this may be shown as undisturbed calm or as offensive boastfulness.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confidence
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin confīdentia; see confide, -ence
Explanation
The noun confidence means "a feeling of trust and firm belief in yourself or others." A person who walks into a room, smiling at everyone and not at all nervous about the speech she's about to give? She has confidence. Confidence comes from the Middle French word of the same spelling, which means "firmly trusting, bold." You can have confidence in yourself, another person, your country, even your rain boots — what you put your confidence in will not let you down. Confidence can also mean "in secret," like when your neighbor tells you in confidence that he and his family are thinking of moving away — he doesn't want others to know.
Vocabulary lists containing confidence
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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.
Her on-plate numbers have dropped since joining UCLA’s roster, but her confidence is higher than ever thanks to the supportive techniques provided for Bruins.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The Ifo institute confidence barometer rose to 84.9 points from 84.5 in April, the first time it has gone up since the start of the conflict.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Likewise, the Conference Board consumer confidence index’s “vibes” weren’t close to record lows in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
There is also increasing confidence that the maximum temperature could reach 33C on bank holiday Monday.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
I’m being adaptable, I mouth at him, faking confidence.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
