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

See Examples For:

vote of confidence

That is, by any measure, a remarkable vote of confidence in the infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Rising quits — workers voluntarily leaving jobs to pursue better opportunities — are a vote of confidence in the economy’s vibrancy.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026

The chancellor views Universal's total investment of £6bn as a "big vote of confidence" in the UK.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

That’s a comforting vote of confidence in Warsh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

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

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers