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.
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh could improve his inflation-fighting bona fides by raising short-term rates by 25 basis points.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
By 1998 Mr. Hoser remained anxious to establish his scientific bona fides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Instead, Lodge, who goes by Cabot, picked up an HP-12C financial calculator and never looked back, perhaps with an eye to resurrecting the family’s business bona fides.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
For older voters, he has Kennedy bona fides.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
The first describes the way a speaker establishes—both overtly and more subtly—his bona fides as a speaker and his connection with the audience.
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.
