faith

¹

[feyth]

noun

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing.

   faith in another's ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof.

   He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion.

   the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc..

   to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief.

   the Christian faith;

   the Jewish faith.

6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc..

   Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc..

   He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

8. Christian Theology.,  the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

Faith

²

[feyth]

noun

1. a female given name.

faith

/ feɪθ /

noun

1. strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence

2. a specific system of religious beliefs

   the Jewish faith

3. Christianity trust in God and in his actions and promises

4. a conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp when this is not based on reason

5. complete confidence or trust in a person, remedy, etc

6. any set of firmly held principles or beliefs

7. allegiance or loyalty, as to a person or cause (esp in the phrases keep faith , break faith )

8. insincerity or dishonesty

9. honesty or sincerity, as of intention in business (esp in the phrase in good faith )

interjection

1. archaic,  indeed; really (also in the phrases by my faith , in faith )

Other Word Forms

• multifaith adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of faith¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English feith, from Anglo-French fed, Old French feid, feit, from Latin fidem, accusative of fidēs “trust,” derivative of fīdere “to trust”; confide

Word History and Origins

Origin of faith¹

C12: from Anglo-French feid , from Latin fidēs trust, confidence

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in faith, in truth; indeed.

   In faith, he is a fine lad.

see act of faith; in bad (good) faith; leap of faith; on faith; pin one's hopes (faith) on.

Example Sentences

Like Rach, a horde of annoyed customers say the saga has shaken their faith in the industry.

From BBC

I always thought it was important for couples to have a common faith — to bond better.

From Los Angeles Times

We've also worked to boost community cohesion, tackle hate crime and reset the relationship with faith communities.

From BBC

Reform supporters seem to have lost faith in the ability of either of Britain's two traditional governing parties to address the country's most pressing problems.

From BBC

Thanks to their presence, these films have been the best of the Conjuring series, exploring themes of faith and seeing as believing when it comes to both God and the Devil.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• church 
• conviction 
• denomination 
• doctrine 
• principle 
• religion 
• sect 
• teaching