faith

play

noun \ˈfāth\

Simple Definition of faith

: strong belief or trust in someone or something
: belief in the existence of God : strong religious feelings or beliefs
: a system of religious beliefs

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of faith

plural

faiths

play \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\

1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs <the Protestant faith>

on faith

: without question <took everything he said on faith>

See faith defined for English-language learners

See faith defined for kids

Examples of faith in a sentence

Faith without doubt leads to moral arrogance, the eternal pratfall of the religiously convinced. —Joe Klein, Time, 17 May 2004
Nick wiped at the moustache of sweat droplets that was as much a part of his face as his eyes and nose and gave a shrug that indicated a certain lack of faith in our judgment. —Tom Perrotta, Joe College, 2000
But while no one with a grain of sense trusted Miss Stephanie, Jem and I had considerable faith in Miss Maudie. She had never told on us, had never played cat-and-mouse with us, she was not at all interested in our private lives. She was our friend. —Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
His supporters have accepted his claims with blind faith.
Our faith in the government has been badly shaken by the recent scandals.
Lending him the money to start his own business was an act of faith.
It requires a giant leap of faith for us to believe that she is telling the truth.
Nothing is more important to her than her faith in God.
She says that her faith has given her the courage to deal with this tragedy.

Origin and Etymology of faith

Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide

First Known Use: 13th century

Synonym Discussion of faith

belief, faith, credence, credit mean assent to the truth of something offered for acceptance. belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer <my belief that I had caught all the errors>. faith almost always implies certitude even where there is no evidence or proof <an unshakable faith in God>. credence suggests intellectual assent without implying anything about grounds for assent <a theory now given credence by scientists>. credit may imply assent on grounds other than direct proof <gave full credit to the statement of a reputable witness>.

Rhymes with faith

eighth, saithe, scathe, wraith

faith

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verb \ˈfāth\

Definition of faith

archaic

transitive verb
: believe, trust

Origin and Etymology of faith

(see ¹faith)

First Known Use: 15th century

FAITH Defined for Kids

faith

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noun \ˈfāth\

Definition of faith for Students

1 : strong belief or trust <I have faith in our leaders.>
2 : belief in God
3 : a system of religious beliefs : religion <people of all faiths>
4 : loyalty to duty or to a person or thing <The team's true fans keep the faith.>

Law Dictionary

faith

noun

Legal Definition of faith

1a : allegiance or loyalty to a duty or a person b : sincerity or honesty of intentions — see also bad faith, good faith
2 : fidelity to one's promises and obligations