bona fides

noun

bo·na fi·des | \ ˌbō-nə-ˈfī-ˌdēz

, ÷ˈbō-nə-ˌfīdz

Definition of bona fides

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? Example Sentences Learn More about bona fides

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Did You Know?

Bona fides looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin, it's a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When bona fides entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use - it was found mostly in legal contexts and it meant "honesty or lawfulness of purpose," just as it did in Latin. It also retained its singular construction. Using this original sense one might speak of "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable," for example. But in the 20th century, use of bona fides began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts. For example, a sentence such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained" is now possible.

Examples of bona fides in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The case for him: Kethledge has Kavanaugh’s assets — solidly conservative jurisprudence; longtime Republican bona fides; an appropriate level of discretion in public comments about hot-button issues — without Kavanaugh’s paper trail. — Dara Lind, Vox, "If Republicans sour on Kavanaugh, here are 4 alternatives waiting in the wings," 27 Sep. 2018 In only two seasons, the 22-year-old Colombian center back rose from South American darling to bona fide starter at the highest level of the Premier League. — Juan Pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "From Tolisso to Lozano, players to watch in Russia 2018," 13 June 2018 The only thing that mattered from that game was Dylan Bundy looking like a bona fide frontline major league starter. — baltimoresun.com, "Instant analysis of the Orioles' 3-2 win over the Twins in 11 innings on Opening Day," 29 Mar. 2018 Foles was the quintessential NFL retread, bouncing around three teams in his first five years, never able to establish himself as a bona fide starter. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Which of today's free agent deals will be tomorrow's NFL busts?," 13 Mar. 2018 Now that the designer has brought Offset into the fold, the Migos rapper has officially turned bona fide fashion force. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Offset Walks the Runway at Off-White in Paris, Bumps Up His Fashion Swag Yet Again," 16 Jan. 2019 In the November midterm elections, several candidates for governor and congressional offices campaigned — and won — on their climate change bona fides. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Climate and energy news in 2018 actually wasn’t all bad," 1 Jan. 2019 The ratio of shoppers to bona fide employees is over 116 to 1. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Instacart changes how it pays shoppers, but many say they’re now making less," 18 Nov. 2018 Even name recognition and party bona fides are no guarantee of success. — Christina A. Cassidy, The Seattle Times, "More than 20 states have never had a woman as governor," 29 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bona fides.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of bona fides was in 1665

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More Definitions for bona fides

bona fides

noun

English Language Learners Definition of bona fides

formal : evidence which shows that what you have said about yourself is true : evidence showing that you deserve a position or that you can be trusted

See the full definition for bona fides in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bona fides

noun

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

Legal Definition of bona fides

: 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)