good faith

noun

Definition of good faith

: honesty or lawfulness of purpose

Examples of good faith in a Sentence

You have no right to question my good faith.

Recent Examples on the Web

And until consumers get that message, and respond by changing their spending habits, the incentive for wineries and vineyards to go green — and to prove it with a certification — will remain based on good faith. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "California wine’s sustainability dilemma," 22 June 2018 In what was viewed as an act of good faith by Futbol Club Cincinnati, team representatives met with community leaders Saturday to discuss possible changes to the West End CBA. — Patrick Brennan, Cincinnati.com, "FC Cincinnati: We urge City Council to proceed with existing West End CBA," 12 May 2018 Wright, however, contacted Ira Kleiman, offering to return at least some of Dave's bitcoins in seemingly good faith. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Self-proclaimed Bitcoin creator accused of $5 billion crypto heist," 28 Feb. 2018 However, the judge ruled that Goose Island had made a good faith effort to compensate them. — Josh Noel, chicagotribune.com, "Goose Island wins lawsuit over infected Bourbon County," 14 June 2018 Under Texas Law, individuals that appear before a court and make a good faith effort to resolve their outstanding Class C warrants are afforded safe harbor and not subject to arrest. — David Taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Dayton joins state-wide warrant sweep," 9 Feb. 2018 Sabraw, an appointee of President George W. Bush, said Meekins' statement calls into question his comments in court hours earlier that the administration was acting in good faith. — Elliot Spagat, chicagotribune.com, "Federal judge criticizes Justice Department effort to reunite families separated at border," 14 July 2018 Related Coverage Shortly before boarding his plane in North Korea, Mr. Pompeo told reporters the talks had been productive and held in good faith. — Jessica Donati, WSJ, "Pompeo Maintains Optimism on Nuclear Talks With North Korea," 8 July 2018 The players assert that the NCAA breached its contract by failing to act in good faith and by refusing to engage in fair dealing while vacating Louisville’s wins and records. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Should the NCAA Be Worried About the Lawsuit It's Facing From Former Louisville Players?," 12 July 2018

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

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27 Aug 2018

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The first known use of good faith was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for good faith

good faith

noun

English Language Learners Definition of good faith

: honesty in dealing with other people

See the full definition for good faith in the English Language Learners Dictionary

good faith

noun

Legal Definition of good faith

: honesty, fairness, and lawfulness of purpose : absence of any intent to defraud, act maliciously, or take unfair advantage filed the suit in good faith negotiating in good faith — see also good faith exception, good faith purchaser — compare bad faith

Note: The meaning of good faith, though always based on honesty, may vary depending on the specific context in which it is used. A person is said to buy in good faith when he or she holds an honest belief in his or her right or title to the property and has no knowledge or reason to know of any defect in the title. In section 1-201 of the Uniform Commercial Code good faith is defined generally as “honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing.” Where recent U.C.C. amendments have not been adopted, this definition is found in Article 3 on negotiable instruments (and applies to Article 4 on bank deposits and collections and Article 4A on funds transfers), while Article 2 on sales defines it as “honesty in fact and the observance of reasonable commercial standards of dealing in the trade.” Article 5 (letters of credit), as amended, defines it as “honesty in fact in the conduct or transaction concerned.” The U.C.C. imposes an obligation of good faith on the performance of every contract or duty under its purview. The law also generally requires good faith of fiduciaries and agents acting on behalf of their principals. There is also a requirement under the National Labor Relations Act that employers and unions bargain in good faith.