faith S3 W2 /feɪθ/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ faith , ↑ faithfulness ≠ ↑ unfaithfulness , ↑ faithful , ↑ faithlessness ; adjective : ↑ faithful ≠ ↑ unfaithful , ↑ faithless ; adverb : ↑ faithfully ≠ ↑ unfaithfully ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: feid , from Latin fides ; ⇨ ↑ fidelity ]
1 . TRUST/CONFIDENCE IN SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [uncountable] a strong feeling of trust or confidence in someone or something
have faith (in somebody/something)
I still have faith in him.
‘Have faith, Alexandra,’ he said.
lose faith (in somebody/something)
The public has lost faith in the government.
destroy/restore sb’s faith (in somebody/something)
It’s really helped restore my faith in human nature.
2 . RELIGION
a) [uncountable] belief and trust in God:
deep religious faith
faith in
my faith in God
b) [countable] one of the main religions in the world:
People from all faiths are welcome.
the Jewish/Muslim/Hindu etc faith
members of the Jewish faith
3 . break faith with somebody/something to stop supporting or believing in a person, organization, or idea:
How could he tell them the truth without breaking faith with the Party?
4 . keep faith with somebody/something to continue to support or believe in a person, organization, or idea
5 . good faith honest and sincere intentions:
He proposed a second meeting as a sign of his good faith.
The woman who sold me the car claimed she had acted in good faith (=had not meant to deceive me) .
6 . bad faith intentions that are not honest or sincere
7 . an act of faith something you do that shows you trust someone completely:
Allowing Ken to be in charge of the project was a total act of faith.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have faith
The public no longer has faith in the government’s policies.
▪ have every faith in somebody/something (=trust them completely)
We have every faith in your ability to solve the problem.
▪ put/place your faith in somebody/something
The Conservative party put its faith in the free market.
▪ show faith in somebody/something
The club have shown faith in the young goalkeeper by offering him a permanent contract.
▪ lose faith
Local people have lost faith in the police.
▪ destroy sb’s faith in somebody/something
Terry’s lies had destroyed Liz’s faith in men.
▪ restore sb’s faith in somebody/something (=make sb’s faith return)
His kindness had restored her faith in human nature.
■ adjectives
▪ great faith
He had great faith in his team.
▪ enormous faith
Ford placed enormous faith in the new model.
▪ complete faith
The owners have complete faith in Sam as manager.
▪ blind faith (=trusting someone without thinking)
He believes that our blind faith in technology is misplaced.
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THESAURUS
▪ religion [uncountable and countable] a set of beliefs about a god, and the ceremonies and customs that go with these beliefs. Also used when talking about all religions in general:
Judaism is one of the great religions of the world.
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African tribal religions
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a lecture on the role of religion in society
▪ faith [uncountable and countable] a religion, especially one of the large important world religions. Also used when talking about religious belief in general:
The school welcomes children of all faiths.
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His religious faith was always deeply important to him.
▪ belief [uncountable and countable] the act of believing in a god or gods, or the ideas that someone believes because of their religion:
We all have the right to freedom of belief.
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They were persecuted because of their religious beliefs.
▪ denomination [countable] a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups who belong to the same religion:
The church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States.
▪ sect [countable] a group of people who have their own set of religious beliefs and customs, especially a group that has separated from a larger group:
He became a member of a Buddhist sect.
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There are two sects in Islam - the Sunni and the Shi'a.
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an obscure religious sect
▪ the church [singular, uncountable] the Christian religion in general:
How great is the influence of the church in present-day society?
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The church has a lot to say about this.
▪ the Catholic/Protestant etc church ( also Church ) [countable] one of the separate groups within the Christian religion:
the Methodist Church
▪ cult [countable] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion – often used to show disapproval:
The suicides have been linked to a strange religious cult.
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the traditional pagan cults of Ancient Rome
▪ creed [uncountable and countable] formal the religion that you belong to, and the set of beliefs that you accept in order to belong to it – often used in phrases when saying that your religion should not affect how you are treated:
There must be no discrimination because of race, colour, or creed.
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You will be rewarded whatever your race or creed.
▪ faith community [countable] formal a group of people who share the same religious beliefs – used especially in official contexts:
the benefits of living within a supportive faith community