vote of confidence

American  

[voht uhv kon-fi-duhns] / ˈvoʊt əv ˈkɒn fɪ dəns /

Also confidence vote

noun

1. 1. (in a legislative or similar body) a formal vote, especially after the introduction of a crucial and controversial piece of policy, to determine whether the majority of members are still prepared to allow the party or person in power to continue governing.

      The Opposition called for a vote of confidence in parliament yesterday.

      With the Tory Party deeply divided, the PM lost a vote of confidence on his Irish policy and had to resign.

   2. a favorable outcome of such a vote for the person or party in power.

      The Knesset gave a slim vote of confidence to the eight-party coalition government.

2. any formal vote in favor of a person or party already in power, a policy or program, etc..

   Despite record low turnout, he called the election result a vote of confidence for his party.

3. any expression of support.

   Your subscription to our magazine is a vote of confidence for our advocacy work.

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Etymology

Origin of vote of confidence

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

Oppenheimer analysts, however, took this month’s stock purchases from Cook and Hill as a vote of confidence in the company.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

In a vote of confidence, Gies will purchase $100 million of supervoting Class B shares in conjunction with the offering at the deal price.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

A gut-punch defeat, extending their losing run to four matches, was scarce reward, but their display represents the players' own vote of confidence in coach Steve Borthwick.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Analyst Conor O’Prey tells clients in a note that the investment from Australia’s National Reconstruction Fund is a particular vote of confidence in the telecommunications provider’s cloud services and government offering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Alex justified his vote of confidence with a picture-perfect one-touch landing.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers