Confidence Meaning
/ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounSelf-assurance.
nounA feeling of certainty; firm trust or belief; faith.
Sentence Examples
Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
The athlete was full of spirit and confidence.
The president's actions hardly inspire confidence.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her unwavering ____ in her abilities helped her win the competition.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite his extensive preparation, he lacked the ____ to speak clearly in front of the large audience.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English confidence, from Latin cōnfīdentia (possibly via Old French confidence), from cōnfīdō (“believe, confide in”) from con- (“with”) + fīdō (“trust”). By surface analysis, confide + ence.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It is better to truſt in the Lord : then to put confidence in man. / It is better to truſt in the Lord : then to put confidence in Princes."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 118:8–9:
"Khedron hesitated for a moment, wondering how far he should take Jeserac into his confidence. He knew that Jeserac was kindly and well-intentioned, but he also knew that he must be bound by the same taboos that controlled everyone on Diaspar."
— 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 39:
"But electric vehicles and the batteries that made them run became ensnared in corporate scandals, fraud, and monopolistic corruption that shook the confidence of the nation and inspired automotive upstarts."
— 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 1, in Internal Combustion:
"In the course of these confidences it became quite plain to me I had been represented to the wife of the high dignitary, and goodness knows to how many more people besides, as an exceptional and gifted creature - a piece of good fortune for the Company - a man you don’t get hold of every day."
— 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 201:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Her unwavering ____ in her abilities helped her win the competition.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite his extensive preparation, he lacked the ____ to speak clearly in front of the large audience.