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
Drury’s defensive bona fides are established.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025
Sure, this man might lack tact at times, but his baseball bona fides are undeniable.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Her basketball bona fides and her understanding of the X’s and O’s are unimpeachable.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But while the administration may be skeptical about the merits of such projects for their climate bona fides, carbon removal is nonetheless a growing global industry, driven in large part by interest from high-emissions industries like tech and oil.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
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Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2025
Sure, this man might lack tact at times, but his baseball bona fides are undeniable.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Her basketball bona fides and her understanding of the X’s and O’s are unimpeachable.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But while the administration may be skeptical about the merits of such projects for their climate bona fides, carbon removal is nonetheless a growing global industry, driven in large part by interest from high-emissions industries like tech and oil.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
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 30 Oct. 2025.
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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