bona fides
Definition
- Noun (plural in form but often used with singular verb):
- Good faith or sincerity: "bona fides" refers to the genuine intentions or honest character of a person or organization.
- Credentials or qualifications: In modern usage, "bona fides" also means evidence of a person's credentials, experience, or legitimacy in a particular field.
Usage Examples
- (The company showed its good faith and honest intention.)
- (She has credible qualifications and experience.)
- (His sincerity or integrity was doubted.)
Advanced Usage
- "to establish one's bona fides": to prove one's credentials or good intentions.
- The new manager needed to establish his bona fides with the team. (He needed to prove his competence and trustworthiness.)
- "to question someone's bona fides": to doubt a person's sincerity or qualifications.
- The committee questioned the candidate's bona fides during the interview. (They doubted the candidate's genuine qualifications.)
Variants and Related Words
- Bona fide (adj): genuine; real; done in good faith. (Note: this is a separate word, not a variant of "bona fides.")
- This is a bona fide antique. (This is a genuine antique.)
- Bona fides is a Latin phrase that is used as a noun in English. It retains its Latin form (plural) but is often treated as singular in meaning.
Synonyms
- Credentials: evidence of a person's qualifications or achievements.
- Sincerity: the quality of being genuine and honest.
- Good faith: honest intention (often used in legal contexts).
Related Idioms
- "In good faith": with honest intentions, without deceit.
- The contract was signed in good faith by both parties. (Both parties acted honestly.)
- "Prove one's mettle": to demonstrate one's ability or character (similar to establishing bona fides).
- He proved his mettle during the crisis. (He showed his competence and reliability.)
Phrasal Verbs
- None directly associated with "bona fides." However, it is often used with verbs like "establish," "question," "demonstrate," or "verify."