bona fides
Americannoun
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(italics) good faith; absence of fraud or deceit; the state of being exactly as claims or appearances indicate.
The bona fides of this contract is open to question.
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(sometimes italics) the official papers, documents, or other items that prove authenticity, legitimacy, etc., as of a person or enterprise; credentials.
All our bona fides are on file with the SEC.
noun
Usage
Bona fides is from the singular Latin phrase bona fidēs , meaning “good faith,” and has the same meaning in English. But partially because its -es ending makes bona fides look and sound like a plural, it has developed the plural sense “credentials.” This plural use, although criticized by some usage guides, has been increasing in all varieties of speech and writing. The adjective bona fide (without the “s”) is from a Latin phrase meaning “in good faith, with good faith.” It was originally used adverbially in this sense, but is now mainly an adjective. The meaning “authentic, true” is a later development sometimes denounced as sloppy usage, but its use is bona fide and widespread.
Etymology
Origin of bona fides
First recorded in 1835–40; from Latin bona fidēs “good faith”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His achievements have helped struggling Californians live in an increasingly unaffordable state and given him bona fides to tout to voters if he launches a bid for the White House.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
American Jews, exhausted by the nonsensical charge of disloyalty, have bent themselves into impressive contortions to demonstrate their bona fides as unambiguous, undivided, thoroughly unadulterated Americans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
When we met at a Starbucks a block away from City Hall, he rattled off his hometown’s bona fides: A drop in crime and homelessness.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Coach continues to prominently advertise its sustainability credentials when other brands have backed off marketing their environmental bona fides.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
I could not, and no longer did, question the bona fides of such men and women.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
