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
But Smith’s international bona fides aren’t limited to the mountain.
—
Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
Vance’s political identity was formed by his feelings of betrayal as a young soldier in Iraq—and his own America First bona fides have been central to his political ascension.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Walden has the entertainment bona fides; D’Amaro is a respected leader at the company.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 31 Dec. 2025
Lisa even chimes in to acknowledge her Broadway bona fides, but things take a turn when Heather casually says Britani has accomplished more than a lot of them.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bona fides
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Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
Vance’s political identity was formed by his feelings of betrayal as a young soldier in Iraq—and his own America First bona fides have been central to his political ascension.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Walden has the entertainment bona fides; D’Amaro is a respected leader at the company.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 31 Dec. 2025
Lisa even chimes in to acknowledge her Broadway bona fides, but things take a turn when Heather casually says Britani has accomplished more than a lot of them.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Dec. 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 7 Jan. 2026.
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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