faith

plural faiths · alternative obsolete feith · alternative obsolete feithe · alternative obsolete fayth · alternative obsolete faythe · alternative obsolete faithe

1. countableuncountableA trust or confidence in the intentions or abilities of a person, object, or ideal from prior empirical evidence.

   Have faith in him, buddy.

   5 more examples

   The faithfulness of Old Faithful gives us faith in it.

   I have faith in the goodness of my fellow man.

   You need to have faith in yourself, that you can overcome your shortcomings and become a good person.

   For we are a nation of believers. Underneath the clamor of building and the rush of our day's pursuits, we are believers in justice and liberty and union, and in our own Union. We believe that every man must someday be free. And we believe in ourselves. That is the mistake that our enemies have always made. In my lifetime--in depression and in war--they have awaited our defeat. Each time, from the secret places of the American heart, came forth the faith they could not see or that they could not even imagine. It brought us victory. And it will again.

   1965, 18:00 from the start, in Lyndon B. Johnson inaugural address: January 20, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson (actor), CBS News

   […]with a mentality anchored in a profoundly influential and persistent hostility to central features of the Enlightment faith in the theoretical and practical autonomy of the human subject.

   1999, Nicholas Walker, “The Reorientation of Critical Theory: Habermas”, in Simon Glemdinning, editor, The Edinburgh Encyclopedia of Continental Philosophy, Routledge, →ISBN, page 489

2. countableuncountableA conviction about abstractions, ideas, or beliefs, without empirical evidence, experience, or observation.

   I have faith that my prayers will be answered.

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   I have faith in the healing power of crystals.

   Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 17:19–20

   We have but faith: we cannot know; ⁠For knowledge is of things we see ⁠And yet we trust it comes from thee, A beam in darkness: let it grow.

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Prologue”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: belief, confidence, trust, conviction

3. countablemetonymicallyuncountableA religious or spiritual belief system.

   The Christian faith.

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   We seek justice for the Indo-European Folk Faith; what's wrong in our literature for that?

   Gradually I realized that I needed a faith to rely on.

   2020 March 27, “Dafa Taught Me How to Be a Good Person”, in Minghui

4. countableuncountableAn obligation of loyalty or fidelity and the observance of such an obligation.

   He acted in good faith to restore broken diplomatic ties after defeating the incumbent.

5. countableobsoleteuncountableCredibility or truth.

   1784-1810, William Mitford, History of Greece the faith of the foregoing […] narrative

alternative obsolete feith · alternative obsolete feithe · alternative obsolete fayth · alternative obsolete faythe · alternative obsolete faithe

1. alternativearchaicnot comparableAlternative form of in faith (“really, truly”).

   'Faith, friend,' he says, 'that was a nasty fall for a fellow that has supped weel. Where might your road be gaun to?'

   1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   1 more example

   “How wonderfully,” said Vincent, “your city dignities unloose the tongue: directly a man has been a mayor, he thinks himself qualified for a Tully at least. Faith, Venables asked me one day, what was the Latin for spouting? and I told him, ‘hippomanes, or a raging humour in mayors.’”

   1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC

alternative obsolete feith · alternative obsolete feithe · alternative obsolete fayth · alternative obsolete faythe · alternative obsolete faithe

1. abbreviationellipsisobsoleteEllipsis of by my faith.

plural Faiths

1. countableuncountableA female given name from English.

   "Now, I was called Faith after the cardinal virtue; and I like my name, though many people would think it too Puritan; that was according to our gentle mother's pious desire.

   1853, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter XVII, in Ruth

   2 more examples

   “Faith.” “No name that—no name that! I can’t stomach such a name. Got any other?” “No, sir.” “Don’t like the name, don’t like it. There’s no smeddum to it. Besides, it makes me think of my Aunt Jinny. She called her three girls Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith didn’t believe in anything—Hope was a born pessimist—and Charity was a miser.

   1919, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter XVI, in Rainbow Valley, Echo Library, published 2006, →ISBN, page 90

   There was something to be said for all those religiously influenced names – Patience, Grace, Chastity, Faith. Better to be named for a virtue than to be landed with a forgettable name like 'Martin'.

   2006, Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn, Black Swan, published 2007, →ISBN, page 81

2. countableuncountableA surname, also used as a stage name.
3. A place in the United States:
   1. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Norman County, Minnesota.
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Miller County, Missouri.
   3. countableuncountableA town in Rowan County, North Carolina.
   4. countableuncountableA minor city in Meade County, South Dakota.