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
Even physicians, long hailed by Republicans for their conservative bona fides, contributed more funds to Democrats by a 2-to-1 margin in 2024.
—
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Bernthal is Hollywood’s go-to bruiser with Stanislavski bona fides.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2026
And here in the Lehigh Valley, as nationally, the party’s chances of regaining the Houses may rest in the callused hands of candidates like Brooks, who are flaunting their blue-collar bona fides in hopes of winning back lower- and middle-income voters who drifted to Trump in droves.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Again, critics say the company’s decision to operate a service that is dependent on plastic bags and requires extensive transport undermines their environmental bona fides.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
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Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
Bernthal is Hollywood’s go-to bruiser with Stanislavski bona fides.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2026
And here in the Lehigh Valley, as nationally, the party’s chances of regaining the Houses may rest in the callused hands of candidates like Brooks, who are flaunting their blue-collar bona fides in hopes of winning back lower- and middle-income voters who drifted to Trump in droves.
—Julia Terruso, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Again, critics say the company’s decision to operate a service that is dependent on plastic bags and requires extensive transport undermines their environmental bona fides.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 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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