bona fides

noun

bo·​na fi·​des ˌbō-nə-ˈfī-ˌdēz 

nonstandard

ˈbō-nə-ˌfīdz 

1

: good faith : sincerity

2

: the fact of being genuine

—often plural in construction

3

: evidence of one's good faith or genuineness

—often plural in construction

4

: evidence of one's qualifications or achievements

—often plural in construction

Did you know?

Bona fides looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin it is a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When bona fides entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use, and it also kept its singular form—for example, "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable." But in the 20th century, use of bona fides began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts, such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained."

Examples of bona fides in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Abandoning his blue-collar bona fides is not smart politics: While Mr. Biden’s approval rating hovers near historic lows, approval of labor unions is reaching historic highs. —Matthew Miles Goodrich, The New Republic, 6 Mar. 2023

Still, others haven't shed their traditional foreign policy bona fides. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, literally, good faith

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Legal Definition

bona fides

noun

bo·​na fi·​des ˌbō-nə-ˈfī-ˌdēz, commonly ˈbō-nə-ˌfīdz 

: good faith

the fact that the plaintiff conducted an investigation demonstrated its bona fides

—Jeannette Glass Co. v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America, 88 A.2d 407 (1952) (dissent)

Etymology

Latin