bona fides
Americannoun
-
(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.
-
(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.
Again, critics say the company’s decision to operate a service that is dependent on plastic bags and requires extensive transport undermines their environmental bona fides.
From Los Angeles Times
But the writers are never not looking for ways to assert their intellectual or even theological bona fides.
Yet he brings consumer and digital bona fides that CarMax has been looking for as it seeks to improve its virtual sales experience.
But you should be strategic, not frantic, when trying to pump up your AI bona fides, writes Callum Borchers.
His musical bona fides are undeniable—along with his rapping prowess, he’s also a skilled producer—but he has an everyman quality rare for his genre.
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.
