bona fides
Americannoun
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(italics) good faith; absence of fraud or deceit; the state of being exactly as claims or appearances indicate.
The bona fides of this contract is open to question.
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(sometimes italics) the official papers, documents, or other items that prove authenticity, legitimacy, etc., as of a person or enterprise; credentials.
All our bona fides are on file with the SEC.
noun
Usage
Bona fides is from the singular Latin phrase bona fidēs , meaning “good faith,” and has the same meaning in English. But partially because its -es ending makes bona fides look and sound like a plural, it has developed the plural sense “credentials.” This plural use, although criticized by some usage guides, has been increasing in all varieties of speech and writing. The adjective bona fide (without the “s”) is from a Latin phrase meaning “in good faith, with good faith.” It was originally used adverbially in this sense, but is now mainly an adjective. The meaning “authentic, true” is a later development sometimes denounced as sloppy usage, but its use is bona fide and widespread.
Etymology
Origin of bona fides
First recorded in 1835–40; from Latin bona fidēs “good faith”
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.
I asked Schenck whether he thought Suozzi used living at C Street to establish his bona fides with a minister known then as a right-wing evangelical.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
Recently, before SpaceX announced it was listing on Nasdaq, Friedman shared her space bona fides with me: “When I grew up, for a while I wanted to be an astronaut,” she said.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate your interpreter bona fides is by getting along with a filmmaker who’s notorious for being difficult.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
She’s seen it happen to others and is proactively trying to prove her human bona fides.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
It’s the point at which you establish your bona fides as a speaker, grab the audience’s attention, and hope to keep it.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
