punic faith

noun

Treachery, deceitfulness, bad faith.

Meanings

punic faith1

nounpunic faith (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of Punic faith.

Punic faith2

nounPunic faith (uncountable)

alternative punic faith · alternative Punic Faith

  1. archaicuncountableTreachery, deceitfulness, bad faith.

    The Carthaginians, in the Roman view, were treacherous fellows. "Punica fides" ("Punic faith") became Latin for double-dealing.

    1944 October 9, “Education: International Insults”, in Time, retrieved 06 Aug 2014
    3 more examples

    His line of education, as well as his father's tenets in matters of church and state, had taught him a holy horror for Papists, and a devout belief in whatever had been said of the Punic faith of Jesuits.

    1824, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 16, in Redgauntlet

    Mexico . . . weakened her cause by her own punic faith, instability, military oppression, and political revolutions, giving to the Texans in particular ample justification for their revolt.

    1848, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 5, in Jack Tier

    Mr. Bright . . . speaks in the following terms, in his address to his constituents, of the Punic faith of the Palmerston-Russell Administration on the question of reform: " . . . The House which was returned at that election has been disloyal to its pledges, and has neglected its first duty."

    1865 July 14, “Bright on Parliamentary Reform”, in New York Times, retrieved 06 Aug 2014

    Synonyms: perfidy, prodition, traitory, betrayal, breach of promise, breach of trust, double-dealing, Judas kiss

Punic Faith3

nounPunic Faith (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of Punic faith.

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. Latinfidēs Pūnica
  2. EnglishPunic faith

Calque of Latin fidēs Pūnica.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French foi punique
  • foi puniqueTranslations
Latin fidēs Pūnica
  • fidēs PūnicaTranslations
Portuguese fé púnica
  • fé púnicaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

punic faith. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punic%20faith

MLA

“punic faith.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punic%20faith. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “punic faith,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punic%20faith.

Source: punic faith on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.