confidence

American  

[kon-fi-duhns] / ˈkɒn fɪ dəns /

noun

1. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.

   We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.

   Synonyms:

   dependence, reliance, faith

   Antonyms:

   mistrust

2. belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

   His lack of confidence defeated him.

3. certitude; assurance.

   He described the situation with such confidence that the audience believed him completely.

4. a secret that is confided or imparted trustfully.

   The friends exchanged many confidences over the years.

5. vote of confidence.

6. presumption; impudence.

   Her disdainful look crushed the confidence of the brash young man.

7. Archaic. something that gives confidence; ground of trust.

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idioms

1. in confidence, as a secret or private matter, not to be divulged or communicated to others; with belief in a person's sense of discretion.

   I told him in confidence.

confidence British  

/ ˈkɒnfɪdəns /

noun

1. a feeling of trust in a person or thing

   I have confidence in his abilities

2. belief in one's own abilities; self-assurance

3. trust or a trustful relationship

   take me into your confidence

4. something confided or entrusted; secret

5. as a secret

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confidence More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing confidence

• in confidence
• take into one's confidence

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Usage

What does confidence mean? Confidence is full trust or belief in the reliability of someone or something, The fans had confidence that their team would win.Confidence is also a belief in one’s self, also called self-confidence. If you have confidence in yourself that you can earn a spot on the basketball team, you believe you can get on the team.Confidence is also a certitude about something, as in When you walk with confidence, people pay attention to you.A confidence is also a secret that you share with someone. To take someone into your confidence is to share a secret with them, trusting that they won’t share it with anyone else.Example: He showed confidence during the interview so I think he is the better candidate for the position.

Related Words

See trust. Confidence, assurance both imply a faith in oneself. Confidence may imply trust in oneself or arrogant self-conceit. Assurance implies even more sureness of oneself; this may be shown as undisturbed calm or as offensive boastfulness.

Other Word Forms

• hyperconfidence noun
• nonconfidence noun
• superconfidence noun

Etymology

Origin of confidence

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin confīdentia; confide, -ence

Example Sentences

Given the year-to-year volatility in monthly returns, April’s advantage over other months is not significant at the 95% confidence level that statisticians often use to assess whether a pattern is genuine.

From MarketWatch

“While the macro backdrop remains dynamic, our disciplined execution and focused investments continue to give us confidence in our trajectory,” Connolly said.

From The Wall Street Journal

This lack of access could affect confidence, wellbeing and a sense of identity, she added.

From BBC

A loss of investor confidence in Treasurys could cause interest rates to rise sharply, hitting housing, business investment, and stock markets, and potentially causing a recession.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the 2022 crypto crash saw a wave of high-profile implosions that shook investor confidence, the current market cycle has appeared more resilient, notably lacking systemic collapses of major lenders or exchanges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assurance
• certainty
• courage
• determination
• morale
• poise
• spirit
• tenacity