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
Other contenders exist, but their bona fides sit in the negative space surrounding the two front-runners.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Both emphasized their veteran bona fides, Sherrill as a veteran herself and Spanberger as the daughter of one (and herself a former CIA officer).
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Establish home base Calvert and Kim are quickly establishing their bona fides with the district.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 Nov. 2025
These days companies are touting, and often overstating, their AI bona fides.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Both emphasized their veteran bona fides, Sherrill as a veteran herself and Spanberger as the daughter of one (and herself a former CIA officer).
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Establish home base Calvert and Kim are quickly establishing their bona fides with the district.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 Nov. 2025
These days companies are touting, and often overstating, their AI bona fides.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
Cite this Entry
“Bona fides.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bona%20fides. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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)
Jeannette Glass Co. v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America, 88 A.2d 407 (1952) (dissent)Etymology
Latin
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