From Middle English feith (also fay), borrowed from Old French foi, from Latin fidēs.

Old French had [θ] as a final devoiced allophone of /ð/ from lenited Latin /d/; this eventually fell silent in the 12th century.

• IPA: /feɪθ/

faith

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

   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.

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

   I have faith that my prayers will be answered.

   I have faith in the healing power of crystals.

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

     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.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, Prologue:

     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.

3. A religious or spiritual belief system.

   The Christian faith.

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

4. An 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. (obsolete) Credibility or truth.
   • 1784-1810, William Mitford, History of Greece

     the faith of the foregoing […] narrative

• (knowing, without direct observation, based on indirect evidence and experience, that something is true, real, or will happen) belief, confidence, trust, conviction
• (system of religious belief) religion

• French: foi
• German: Glaube
• Italian: fede, fiducia
• Portuguese: fé
• Russian: ве́ра
• Spanish: fe

• French: foi
• German: Glaube
• Italian: fede
• Portuguese: fé
• Russian: ве́ра
• Spanish: fe

• Portuguese: fé
• Russian: ве́ра

• French: foi, confiance
• German: Vertrauen
• Italian: fiducia
• Portuguese: fé
• Russian: ве́ра
• Spanish: confianza, fe

faith (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Alternative form of in faith
   • 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC ↗:

     “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.’”

1. (obsolete) Short for by my faith.

1. A female given name.
   • 1853, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter XVII, in Ruth:

     "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.

2. Surname, also used as a stage name.
3. A city in South Dakota, USA.