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
The event was preceded with an article on its bona fides in The Hollywood Reporter.
—
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The nomination of a director with public-health bona fides and mainstream views on vaccines could mean a return to normalcy at the CDC.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
But then there was Chuck Norris, whose bona fides preceded him.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Brown touted progressive bona fides of her own while zeroing in on environmental justice as a key agenda item.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
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Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The nomination of a director with public-health bona fides and mainstream views on vaccines could mean a return to normalcy at the CDC.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
But then there was Chuck Norris, whose bona fides preceded him.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Brown touted progressive bona fides of her own while zeroing in on environmental justice as a key agenda item.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 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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