act of faith

noun

1. an act that demonstrates or tests the strength of a person's convictions, as an important personal sacrifice.

act of faith

noun

1. Christianity an act that demonstrates or tests a person's religious beliefs

Idioms and Phrases

Behavior that shows or tests a person's religious or other convictions, as in Rock climbing with a new, inexperienced partner was a real act of faith. The term is a translation of the Portuguese auto da fé, which referred to the sentencing and execution of heretics (often by burning at the stake) during the Inquisition, when punishing heresy was thought to constitute an assertion of faith. In modern times it is used for more benign circumstances. [Early 1700s]

Example Sentences

Slot used new right-back Jeremie Frimpong as a right-sided attacker, not exactly an act of faith in his defensive abilities, with recognised midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai moved to defence.

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Where you land is an act of faith.

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Salah's decision to move his Liverpool career towards the decade mark is a sign of continuing hunger for the game's biggest prizes, as well as an act of faith in the management of Slot to help him achieve his goals.

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“The president says she is confident there will be no more tariffs, but that is an act of faith,” wrote columnist Raymundo Riva Palacio in El Financiero.

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When asked why he could not do that, he replied: "Well, you try proposing that a hospital in Wales closes", before going on to explain that it was an "act of faith" for people to believe that alternatives would be provided and would be better, such as more modern local facilities.

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