Adjacent Words

Confidence definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CON'FIDENCE, n. [L. See Confide.]
1. A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.
It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118.
I rejoice that I have confidence in you in all things. 2 Corinthians 7.
Mutual confidence is the basis of social happiness.
I place confidence in a statement, or in an official report.
2. Trust; reliance; applied to one's own abilities, or fortune; belief in one's own competency.
His times being rather prosperous than calm, had raised his confidence by success.
3. That in which trust is placed; ground of trust; he or that which supports.
Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence. Jeremiah 48.
Jehovah shall be thy confidence. Proverbs 3.
4. Safety, or assurance of safety; security.
They shall build houses and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence. Ezek 28.
5. Boldness; courage.
Preaching the kingdom of God with all confidence. Acts 28.
6. Excessive boldness; assurance, proceeding forom vanity or a false opinion of one's own abilities, or excellencies.
Their confidence ariseth from too much credit given to their own wits.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities; "his assurance in his superiority did not make him popular"; "after that failure he lost his confidence"; "she spoke with authority" [syn: assurance, self-assurance, confidence, self-confidence, authority, sureness]
2: a feeling of trust (in someone or something); "I have confidence in our team"; "confidence is always borrowed, never owned" [ant: diffidence, self-distrust, self- doubt]
3: a state of confident hopefulness that events will be favorable; "public confidence in the economy"
4: a trustful relationship; "he took me into his confidence"; "he betrayed their trust" [syn: confidence, trust]
5: a secret that is confided or entrusted to another; "everyone trusted him with their confidences"; "the priest could not reveal her confidences"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances <had perfect confidence in her ability to succeed> <met the risk with brash confidence> b. faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way <have confidence in a leader> 2. the quality or state of being certain ; certitude <they had every confidence of success> 3. a. a relation of trust or intimacy <took his friend into his confidence> b. reliance on another's discretion <their story was told in strictest confidence> c. support especially in a legislative body <vote of confidence> 4. a communication made in confidence ; secret <accused him of betraying a confidence> Synonyms: confidence, assurance, self-possession, aplomb mean a state of mind or a manner marked by easy coolness and freedom from uncertainty, diffidence, or embarrassment. confidence stresses faith in oneself and one's powers without any suggestion of conceit or arrogance <the confidence that comes from long experience>. assurance carries a stronger implication of certainty and may suggest arrogance or lack of objectivity in assessing one's own powers <handled the cross-examination with complete assurance>. self-possession implies an ease or coolness under stress that reflects perfect self-control and command of one's powers <answered the insolent question with complete self-possession>. aplomb implies a manifest self-possession in trying or challenging situations <handled the reporters with great aplomb>. II. adjective Date: 1849 of, relating to, or adept at swindling by false promises <a confidence game> <a confidence man>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 firm trust (have confidence in his ability). 2 a a feeling of reliance or certainty. b a sense of self-reliance; boldness. 3 a something told confidentially. b the telling of private matters with mutual trust. Phrases and idioms: confidence man a man who robs by means of a confidence trick. confidence trick (US game) a swindle in which the victim is persuaded to trust the swindler in some way. in confidence as a secret. in a person's confidence trusted with a person's secrets. take into one's confidence confide in. Etymology: ME f. L confidentia (as confide)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Confidence Con"fi*dence, n. [L. confidentia firm trust in, self-confidence: cf. F. confidence.] 1. The act of confiding, trusting, or putting faith in; trust; reliance; belief; -- formerly followed by of, now commonly by in. Society is built upon trust, and trust upon confidence of one another's integrity. --South. A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God. --Macaulay. 2. That in which faith is put or reliance had. The Lord shall be thy confidence. --Prov. iii. 26. 3. The state of mind characterized by one's reliance on himself, or his circumstances; a feeling of self-sufficiency; such assurance as leads to a feeling of security; self-reliance; -- often with self prefixed. Your wisdom is consumed in confidence; Do not go forth to-day. --Shak. But confidence then bore thee on secure Either to meet no danger, or to find Matter of glorious trial. --Milton. 4. Private conversation; (pl.) secrets shared; as, there were confidences between them. Sir, I desire some confidence with you. --Shak. Confidence game, any swindling operation in which advantage is taken of the confidence reposed by the victim in the swindler. Confidence man, a swindler. To take into one's confidence, to admit to a knowledge of one's feelings, purposes, or affairs. Syn: Trust; assurance; expectation; hope. I am confident that very much be done. --Boyle. 2. Trustful; without fear or suspicion; frank; unreserved. Be confident to speak, Northumberland; We three are but thyself. --Shak. 3. Having self-reliance; bold; undaunted. As confident as is the falcon's flight Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight. --Shak. 4. Having an excess of assurance; bold to a fault; dogmatical; impudent; presumptuous. The fool rageth and is confident. --Prov. xiv. 16. 5. Giving occasion for confidence. [R.] The cause was more confident than the event was prosperious. --Jer. Taylor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you have confidence in someone, you feel that you can trust them. I have every confidence in you... This has contributed to the lack of confidence in the police... His record on ceasefires inspires no confidence. = faith N-UNCOUNT: usu N in n 2. If you have confidence, you feel sure about your abilities, qualities, or ideas. The band is on excellent form and brimming with confidence... I always thought the worst of myself and had no confidence whatsoever. 3. If you can say something with confidence, you feel certain it is correct. I can say with confidence that such rumors were totally groundless. N-UNCOUNT: usu with N 4. If you tell someone something in confidence, you tell them a secret. We told you all these things in confidence... Even telling Lois seemed a betrayal of confidence. N-UNCOUNT: usu in N • If you take someone into your confidence, you tell them a secret. If your daughter takes you into her confidence, don't rush off to tell your husband. PHRASE: V inflects 5. see also vote of no confidence

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kon'-fi-dens (baTach, and forms, kecel; parrhesia; peitho, pepoithesis, hupostasis): The chief Hebrew word translated "confidence" (baTach, and its forms) means, perhaps, radically, "to be open," showing thus what originated the idea of "confidence"; where there was nothing hidden a person felt safe; it is very frequently rendered "trust." In Ps 118:8,9 we have "It is better to take refuge in Yahweh than to put confidence in princes," and in 65:5, "O God of our salvation, thou that art the confidence (mibhTach) of all the ends of the earth." MibhTach is translated "confidence" in Job 18:14; 31:24; Pr 21:22, etc.

Kecel ("firmness," "stoutness") is rendered "confidence" in Pr 3:26, and kiclah in Job 4:6; peitho ("to persuade") is translated "confidence" in 2Co 2:3; Ga 5:10, etc.; pepoithesis, in 2Co 1:15; 8:22, etc.; hupostasis ("what stands under"), in 2Co 11:17; Heb 3:14; 2Co 9:4; parrhesia ("out- spokenness," "boldness") is invariably translated in the Revised Version (British and American) "boldness" (Ac 28:31; Heb 3:6; 4:16; 10:35; 1Jo 2:28; 3:21; 5:14); tharseo or tharrheo ("to have good courage") is so translated in the Revised Version (British and American), "being therefore always of good courage" (2Co 5:6); "I am of good courage concerning you" (2Co 7:16), the King James Version "confident" and "confidence." Revised Version has "confidence" for "hope" (Job 8:14); for "assurance" (Isa 32:17); for "trust" (2Co 3:4); for "same confident boasting" (2Co 9:4); "is confident" for "trusted" (Job 40:23); "to have confidence" for "thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust" (Php 3:4); "confidently" for "constantly" (Ac 12:15); "confidently affirm" for "affirm" (1Ti 1:7); conversely, we have for "his confidence" (Job 18:14), "wherein he trusteth," for "with confidence" (Eze 28:26) "securely therein."

The Bible teaches the value of confidence (Isa 30:15; Heb 10:35), but neither in "gold" (Job 31:24), nor in man, however great (Ps 118:8,9; Jer 17:5), nor in self as revealed in Christ (Eph 3:12; 1Jo 5:13,14). (Pr 14:16; Php 3:3), but in God (Ps 65:5; Pr 3:26; 14:26),

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Trust, faith, belief, reliance, dependence. 2. Boldness, courage, intrepidity, assurance, firmness, self-reliance. 3. Secret, private or confidential communication. 4. Intimacy, confidential relations.

Moby Thesaurus

acceptation, acception, acquiescence, anticipation, aplomb, arcanum, arrogance, aspiration, assumption, assurance, assured faith, assuredness, balance, belief, boldness, brashness, brass, cabala, certainty, certitude, cheek, cheerful expectation, classified information, cocksureness, confidential communication, confidentially, confidentness, contemplation, conviction, coolness, courage, credence, credit, credulity, crust, dauntlessness, dependence, desire, doomed hope, enigma, equability, equanimity, equilibrium, esoterica, expectancy, expectation, face, fair prospect, faith, fearlessness, fervent hope, gall, good cheer, good hope, great expectations, guarded secret, hermetics, high hopes, hope, hopeful prognosis, hopefulness, hopes, hoping, hoping against hope, hubris, imminence, impudence, in confidence, in privacy, intimately, level head, levelheadedness, mettle, mystery, mystery of mysteries, nerve, overconfidence, oversureness, overweening, overweeningness, personal matter, poise, pomposity, positiveness, possession, prayerful hope, presence of mind, presumption, pride, private matter, privately, privileged communication, privity, probability, profound secret, promise, prospect, prospects, reception, reliance, reliance on, resolution, restraint, restricted information, sanguine expectation, sealed book, secret, security, self-assurance, self-command, self-confidence, self-control, self-importance, self-possession, self-reliance, self-restraint, settled belief, spirit, stock, store, subjective certainty, sureness, surety, suspension of disbelief, tenacity, the occult, thought, trust, unafraidness, unapprehensiveness, unastonishment, unbashfulness, undauntedness, unfearfulness, unfearingness, unshrinkingness, unshyness, untimidness, well-grounded hope, well-regulated mind