confident

Where does the word "confident" come from? It comes from Latin fides, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Confident’s story begins in Latin: fides meant “faith, trust.” Faith, trust, giving rise to fidere (to trust). Within Latin, it grew into confidere by ancient. To trust fully, from com- and fidere. By ancient, Latin speakers had reshaped it into confidens. Trusting fully, present participle of confidere. It reached English by 1500s as confident. Settled as the English word for feeling sure of oneself or one's abilities. Today, confident means feeling or showing certainty about oneself or one's abilities.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fides "faith, trust", faith, trust, giving rise to fidere (to trust).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient confidere "to trust fully", to trust fully, from com- and fidere.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient confidens "trusting fully", trusting fully, present participle of confidere.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1500s confident "feeling sure of oneself or one's abilities", settled as the English word for feeling sure of oneself or one's abilities.