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
There are no such worries about The Secret Agent, a Brazilian movie that boasts pristine anti-fascist bona fides.
—
Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
But Griner has serious bona fides, having spent nearly ten months in Russian prisons, much of it in a brutal penal colony, before being released in a prisoner swap with the United States.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Their fans would take that as proof of their bona fides.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
This is also an opportunity for Justin Herbert to establish his playoff bona fides in front of a national audience, as well as living up to the hype of his coach.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
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Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
But Griner has serious bona fides, having spent nearly ten months in Russian prisons, much of it in a brutal penal colony, before being released in a prisoner swap with the United States.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Their fans would take that as proof of their bona fides.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
This is also an opportunity for Justin Herbert to establish his playoff bona fides in front of a national audience, as well as living up to the hype of his coach.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
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 2 Feb. 2026.
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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