bad faith
Americannoun
noun
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intention to deceive; treachery or dishonesty (esp in the phrase in bad faith )
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Also called: mauvaise foi. (in the philosophy of the 20th-century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre) self-deception, as when an agent regards his actions as conditioned by circumstances or conventions in order to evade his own responsibility for choosing them freely
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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.
"There is no evidence of bad faith, malice, corruption, fraud, partiality, or any want of integrity on the part of Referee Mark Lyson," the commission added.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
The FDA further showed its bad faith by leaking the rejection letter to the press.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
Among its accusations, the labor group also said that guild management has “surveilled workers for union activity, terminated union supporters, and engaged in bad faith surface bargaining.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
Unionized Post-Gazette editorial staff have been on strike since October 2022, pushing for better wages and healthcare benefits and accusing the company of years of bargaining in bad faith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026
I am afraid of seeming either to promise more than I can perform, which suggests complete irresponsibility, or to perform less than I can, which suggests bad faith and indifference.
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.
