good faith

noun

: honesty or lawfulness of purpose

Examples of good faith in a Sentence

You have no right to question my good faith.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawyers of 1776 sought to avoid another revolution by forming government structures that had checks and balances where if every party legitimately plays its part with good faith, then rule of law would prevail. — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Federal law requires both sides to bargain in good faith, which typically means the parties need to show movement. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 25 June 2026

So the conversations were all in good faith. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 June 2026

One interesting aspect of SpaceX’s IPO to watch going forward is Musk’s EV maker, Tesla, whose enormous valuation similarly rests largely on good faith and not business fundamentals. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for good faith

• baith
• saith
• snaith
• wraith
• interfaith

Kids Definition

good faith

noun

: honesty or lawfulness of purpose

bargained in good faith

Legal Definition

good faith

noun

: honesty, fairness, and lawfulness of purpose : absence of any intent to defraud, act maliciously, or take unfair advantage

filed the suit in good faith

negotiating in good faith

see also good faith exception, good faith purchaser compare bad faith

Note: The meaning of good faith, though always based on honesty, may vary depending on the specific context in which it is used. A person is said to buy in good faith when he or she holds an honest belief in his or her right or title to the property and has no knowledge or reason to know of any defect in the title. In section 1-201 of the Uniform Commercial Code good faith is defined generally as “honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing.” Where recent U.C.C. amendments have not been adopted, this definition is found in Article 3 on negotiable instruments (and applies to Article 4 on bank deposits and collections and Article 4A on funds transfers), while Article 2 on sales defines it as “honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable commercial standards of dealing in the trade.” Article 5 (letters of credit), as amended, defines it as “honesty in fact in the conduct or transaction concerned.” The U.C.C. imposes an obligation of good faith on the performance of every contract or duty under its purview. The law also generally requires good faith of fiduciaries and agents acting on behalf of their principals. There is also a requirement under the National Labor Relations Act that employers and unions bargain in good faith.

Etymology

translation of Latin bona fides