Faith

/feɪθ/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings4 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something; a strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

/feɪθ/

nounpositiveBeginner
General

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

She had great faith in her abilities.

💡 Simply: Faith is like believing in something even when you can't see it or prove it. Like believing your best friend will always be there for you, or believing the sun will come up tomorrow.

👶 For kids: Faith means believing in something even when you can't see it. Like believing in Santa Claus!

More Examples

2

He put his faith in the guidance of the priest.

3

Despite setbacks, they kept their faith in the mission.

How It's Used

Religious

"She has unwavering faith in God."

Personal Relationships

"Their faith in each other helped them overcome the challenges."

General

"The project's success depended on the team's faith in the plan."

2

A particular system of religious belief.

/feɪθ/

nounneutralmedium
Technology

Many people find solace in their faith during difficult times.

💡 Simply: It can also refer to a religion. Like the Christian faith or the Jewish faith.

👶 For kids: Faith can also mean a religion, like the religion that your family believes in.

More Examples

2

Different cultures have different faiths and traditions.

3

He was raised in the Catholic faith.

How It's Used

Religious

"She converted to the Islamic faith."

Historical

"The history books discuss the evolution of various faiths."

Tip:Think of the word as referring to the belief in a set of teachings/religious beliefs.

Idioms & expressions

good faith

Sincere and honest intentions.

"The negotiations were conducted in good faith."

have faith in

To believe strongly in someone or something.

"We have faith in our team's ability to win the championship."

in faith

To trust or believe in something.

"The religious community followed their teachings in faith."

blind faith

Unquestioning belief, often without sufficient evidence.

"He followed the leader with blind faith."

From Middle English feith, from Old French feid, fei, from Latin fidēs (“trust, belief, confidence”).

Used in various religious texts and philosophical writings for centuries.

Memory tip

Think of having faith as having a strong belief that your friend, or a particular thing, will always be there to help, even when you can't see it.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"trust, belief"

have faithblind faithgood faithfaith inlose faithshow faithdemonstrate faithexercise faith

Common misspellings

fathfaite

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written