confidence

confidence
noun
1 FEELING SB/STH IS GOOD (U) the feeling that you can trust someone or something to be good, work well, or produce good results
(+ in): Our first priority is to maintain the customer's confidence in our product. | have confidence in: We have every confidence in your abilities. | win/gain/lose sb's confidence (in): Opinion polls show that voters have lost confidence in the administration. | inspire/restore/undermine confidence (in) (=make people feel more or less confident about something or someone): These miscarriages of justice have undermined confidence in our legal system. | show confidence (in): Middle-aged people generally do not show as much confidence in what the future holds as do the young.
2 BELIEF IN YOURSELF (U) the belief that you have the ability to do things well or deal with situations successfully: Joyce always had an abundance of confidence. She seemed to fear no one. | lack confidence/be lacking in confidence: She's a good student but she lacks confidence in herself. | lack of confidence: A lack of confidence seems to be her main problem. | give sb confidence: Living on her own in a foreign country for a year gave her a lot of confidence. | give sb the confidence to do sth: Good training will give a beginner the confidence to enjoy skiing. | restore/lose confidence: Going back to work restored my confidence and made me feel more capable. | boost/shake sb's confidence (=make someone feel more or less confident): Julie's confidence was badly shaken by her car accident.
3 FEELING STH IS TRUE (U) the feeling that something is definite or true: How can anyone say with confidence that the recession is over? | have confidence that: At that time he had little confidence that God existed.
4 FEELING OF TRUST (U) a feeling of trust in someone, so that you can tell them something and be sure they will not tell other people: have/gain/get sb's confidence (=make someone feel they can trust you): It took me a long time to gain his confidence, but he trusts me now. | in (strict) confidence (=if you tell someone something in confidence, you tell them in secret and they must not tell anyone else): I'm giving you this information in the strictest confidence. | take sb into your confidence (=tell someone something secret): Tanya took Liane into her confidence about her marital problems.
5 A SECRET (C) a secret or a piece of information that is private or personal: They spent their evenings drinking wine by the fire and sharing confidences.
-see also: vote of confidence, vote of no confidence

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • confidence — [ kɔ̃fidɑ̃s ] n. f. • v. 1370; lat. confidentia → confier 1 ♦ (1647) Communication d un secret qui concerne soi même. ⇒ confession. Faire une confidence à qqn. Recevoir des confidences. « La confidence n est parfois qu un succédané laïque de la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • confidence — con‧fi‧dence [ˈkɒnfdns ǁ ˈkɑːn ] noun [uncountable] 1. the feeling that you can trust someone or something to do what they say, work properly etc: • We have every confidence in the team. • Our top priority is to maintain customer confidence in… …   Financial and business terms

  • 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. [1913 Webster] Society is built… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • confidence — 1 *trust, reliance, dependence, faith Analogous words: certitude, assurance, conviction, *certainty: credence, credit, *belief, faith Antonyms: doubt: apprehension Contrasted words: *distrust, mistrust: despair, hopelessness (see under …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • confidence — Confidence. s. f. Participation aux secrets d autruy. Il est dans la confidence d un tel. il a la confidence d un tel. entrer dans la confidence de quelqu un. parler en confidence. traiter en confidence. On dit, Faire confidence de quelque chose… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • confidence — CONFIDENCE. s. f. La part qu on donne ou qu on reçoit d un secret. Faire confidence de quelque chose à quelqu un. Il m a fait confidence de son dessein. Être bien avant dans la confidence, entrer dans la confidence de quelqu un. Parler en… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • confidence — I (faith) noun affiance, aplomb, assurance, boldness, certainty, certitude, cocksureness, confidentness, conviction, courage, credence, credulity, fearlessness, fides, fiducia, firm belief, heart, intrepidity, morale, nerve, optimism, poise,… …   Law dictionary

  • confidence — [kän′fə dəns] n. [ME < L confidentia < confidens, prp. of CONFIDE] 1. firm belief; trust; reliance 2. the fact of being or feeling certain; assurance 3. belief in one s own abilities; self confidence 4. a relationship as confidant [take me… …   English World dictionary

  • confidence — ► NOUN 1) the belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something. 2) self assurance arising from an appreciation of one s abilities. 3) the telling of private matters or secrets with mutual trust. 4) a secret or private matter told …   English terms dictionary

  • Confidence — Álbum de Downface Publicación 1997 Género(s) Rock experimental Post grunge Duración 41:19 Cronología de …   Wikipedia Español

  • confidence — early 15c., from M.Fr. confidence or directly from L. confidentia, from confidentem (nom. confidens) firmly trusting, bold, prp. of confidere to have full trust or reliance, from com , intensive prefix (see COM (Cf. com )), + fidere to trust (see …   Etymology dictionary

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