confidence

[ kon-fi-duhns ]

/ ˈkɒn fɪ dəns /

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See synonyms for: confidence / confidences on Thesaurus.com

noun

full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.

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.

See entry at vote of confidence.

presumption; impudence: Her disdainful look crushed the confidence of the brash young man.

Archaic. something that gives confidence; ground of trust.

OTHER WORDS FOR confidence

1 faith, reliance, dependence.

See synonyms for confidence on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR confidence

1 mistrust.

See antonyms for confidence on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about confidence

in confidence, as a secret or private matter, not to be divulged or communicated to others; with belief in a person's sense of discretion: I told him in confidence.

Origin of confidence

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin confīdentia; see confide, -ence

synonym study for confidence

1. See trust. 2. 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 WORDS FROM confidence

hy·per·con·fi·dence, nounnon·con·fi·dence, nounsu·per·con·fi·dence, noun

Words nearby confidence

confessor, confetti, confidant, confidante, confide, confidence, confidence game, confidence interval, confidence level, confidence limits, confidence man

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CONFIDENCE

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.

Where does confidence come from?

The first records of the term confidence come from the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Latin confīdentia.

In politics, a vote of confidence is sometimes taken to gauge whether voters still trust the politician. If the result is a vote of no confidence, the politician may be removed from their position.

Another common use is in confidence trick, a scam in which someone gains the confidence of a person or organization only to trick them out of money, goods, or something else later. This is often shortened to con trick.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to confidence?

hyperconfidence (noun)
nonconfidence (noun)
superconfidence (noun)

What are some synonyms for confidence?

What are some words that share a root or word element with confidence?

What are some words that often get used in discussing confidence?

How is confidence used in real life?

Confidence is something most people desire but not all people have.

I feel bad about all the burglars who never had the confidence to rob a house on christmas thanks to me.

— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) December 23, 2018

There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) November 12, 2018

Lord grant me the confidence of a person who raises their hand at a Q&A with, well, not exactly a question per se, more of a comment, an observation, really

— Dylan Marron (@dylanmarron) March 2, 2018

Try using confidence!

Is confidence used correctly in the following sentence?

I was so sure I would lose the election that I was full of confidence.

How to use confidence in a sentence

Put your foot down, and the car plows forward with the confidence of internal combustion.
Polestar 1 Review: A hybrid grand tourer worthy of its $155,000 price|Matt Burns|August 10, 2020|TechCrunch
Men, on the other hand, generally tend not to suffer such qualms and, as a result, seem more willing to aspire to challenging positions, with the hope and confidence that they will grow into the job.
Why every woman should learn the rule of thirds|Nandita Bakhshi|August 6, 2020|Quartz
He was alternately starting and coming off the bench, and whether it was his role or his confidence or something else entirely, things just … weren’t clicking.
Lonzo Ball Makes His Teammates Better — And Zion Makes Lonzo Better|Jared Dubin|August 6, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
If their confidence wavers, they’ll pull their money out and stop using the bank.
‘Lights Out’: A new book investigates how and when things fell apart at General Electric|Rachel King|July 21, 2020|Fortune

As confidence in government decays because of mismanaged pandemic responses, trust will likely shift to the local level.
Beyond covid-19 lies a new normal—and new opportunities|Jason Sparapani|June 30, 2020|MIT Technology Review
But locals there say any money deposited is thrown into an unlocked cupboard behind the tellers, hardly inspiring confidence.
ISIS’s Futile Quest to Go Legit|Jamie Dettmer|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For his part, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has expressed his “full confidence” in Representative Scalise.
Reverend Jeremiah Wright Was Worse Than Scalise|Ron Christie|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What designer West lacks in productivity, he more than makes up for in pure, unadulterated confidence and blind anger.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Balmain Campaign: High Fashion Meets Low Culture|Amy Zimmerman|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The FARC has a long way to go to win the confidence of the Colombian people.
Did The U.S.-Cuba Deal Help Drive A Rebel Ceasefire in Colombia?|Richard McColl|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mailer would argue, for example, that timidity does more harm to the novelist than donning a mask of extreme self-confidence.
Mailer’s Letters Pack a Punch and a Surprising Degree of Sweetness|Ronald K. Fried|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With childlike confidence he follows the advice of some more or less honest dealer.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
We have been in the profession some years, Mr. Pickwick, and have been honoured with the confidence of many excellent clients.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
She embraced Otteline; and gave him her hand to kiss, with repeated expressions of future confidence in the husband of her friend.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Her work is full of life and strength, and her touch shows her confidence in herself and her technical knowledge.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Not more than one adult worker in ten—so at least it might with confidence be estimated—is employed on necessary things.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for confidence

confidence

/ (ˈkɒnfɪdəns) /

noun

a feeling of trust in a person or thingI have confidence in his abilities

belief in one's own abilities; self-assurance

trust or a trustful relationshiptake me into your confidence

something confided or entrusted; secret

in confidence as a secret

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with confidence

confidence

In addition to the idiom beginning with confidence

confidence game

also see:

in confidence
take into one's confidence

confidence

OTHER WORDS FOR confidence

OPPOSITES FOR confidence

Idioms about confidence

Origin of confidence

synonym study for confidence

OTHER WORDS FROM confidence

Words nearby confidence

MORE ABOUT CONFIDENCE

What does confidence mean?

Where does confidence come from?

Did you know … ?

How is confidence used in real life?

Try using confidence!

Words related to confidence

How to use confidence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for confidence

Other Idioms and Phrases with confidence