- 1[uncountable] faith (in somebody/something) trust in someone's ability or knowledge; trust that someone or something will do what has been promised I have great faith in you—I know you'll do well. We've lost faith in the government's promises. Her friend's kindness has restored her faith in human nature. He has blind faith (= unreasonable trust) in the doctor's ability to find a cure.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2[uncountable, singular] strong religious belief to lose your faith Faith is stronger than reason. Topic CollocationsReligionbeing religious
- believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
- be/become an agnostic/an atheist/a believer/a Buddhist/Christian/Hindu/Muslim, etc.
- convert to/practice a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
- go to church/temple (= the synagogue)
- go to the local church/mosque/synagogue
- belong to a church/a religious community
- join/enter the Church/a convent/a monastery/the clergy/the priesthood/a religious sect/a cult
- praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
- attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
- perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a bar mitzvah/a bat mitzvah
- carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite/the last rites
- go on/make a pilgrimage
- celebrate Christmas/Diwali/Easter/Eid/Hanukkah/Passover/Ramadan
- observe/break the Sabbath/a fast/Ramadan
- deliver/preach/hear a sermon
- lead/address the congregation
- say/recite a prayer/blessing
- preach/proclaim/spread the word of God/the Gospel/the message of Islam/a message
- study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
- read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the Gospel/the Torah
- be based on/derived from divine revelation
- commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
- seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
- strengthen/lose/question your faith
- keep/practice/abandon the faith
- save/purify/lose your soul
- obey/follow/keep/break/violate a commandment/Islamic law/Jewish law
- be/accept/do God's will
- receive/experience divine grace
- achieve/attain enlightenment/salvation/nirvana
- undergo a conversion/rebirth/reincarnation
- hear/answer a prayer
- commit/confess/forgive a sin
- do/perform penance
- 3[countable] a particular religion the Christian faith The children are learning to understand people of different faiths.
- 4[uncountable] good faith the intention to do something right They handed over the weapons as a gesture of good faith. Idioms
to break/keep a promise that you have made to someone; to stop/continue being loyal to someone
knowing that what you are doing is wrong
believing that what you are doing is right; believing that something is correct We printed the report in good faith but have now learned that it was incorrect. He bought the painting in good faith (= he did not know that it had been stolen).
pin (all) your hopes on somebody/something, pin your faith on somebody/something jump to other results
Check pronunciation: faith