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Origin and history of confident

confident(adj.)

1570s, "self-reliant, sure of oneself;" c. 1600, "fully assured, having strong belief," from French confident, from Latin confidentem (nominative confidens) "firmly trusting, reliant, self-confident, bold, daring," present participle of confidere "to have full trust or reliance," from assimilated form of com, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). Related: Confidently.

also from 1570s

Entries linking to confident

overconfident(adj.)

also over-confident, "confident to excess," 1610s, from over- + confident. Related: Overconfidently.

self-confident(adj.)

"confident of one's powers or qualities," 1610s; see self- + confident. Related: self-confidently.

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diffident
mid-15c., "distrustful, wanting confidence in another's power," from Latin diffidentem (nominative diffidens), present participle of diffidere "to mistrust, lack confidence," from dis- "away" (see dis-) + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). O
positive
early 14c., originally a legal term meaning "formally laid down, decreed or legislated by authority" (opposed to natural),  from Old French positif (13c.) and directly from Latin positivus "settled by agreement, positive" (opposed to naturalis "natural"), from positus, past
confidant
1610s, confident, "(male) person trusted with private affairs," from French confident (16c.), from Italian confidente "a...trusty friend," literally "confident, trusty," from Latin confidentem (nominative confidens), present participle of confidere...
bluff
1839, "to deceive (opponents), especially by betting heavily and with a confident air on a worthless hand to make them 'fold...The general sense "use a show of confident assurance to deceive an opponent as to one's real resources or strength" is by...
audacious
1540s, "confident, intrepid, daring," from French audacieux, from audace "boldness," from Latin audacia "daring, boldness...
overweening
overwenen "be conceited or arrogant, think too highly or confidently (especially of oneself); be presumptuous, be over-confident...
expectation
1530s, "state or condition of waiting or awaiting with confident anticipation," from French expectation (14c.) or directly...
kaput
"finished, worn out, dead," 1895 as a German word in English, from German kaputt "destroyed, ruined, lost" (1640s), which in this sense probably is a misunderstanding of an expression from card-playing, capot machen, a partial translation into German of French faire capot, a phra
substance
c. 1300, substaunce, "divine part or essence" common to the persons of the Trinity;" mid-14c. in philosophy and theology, "that which exists by itself; essential nature; type or kind of thing; real or essential part;" from Old French sustance, substance "goods, possessions; natur
vow
"solemn promise," c. 1300, from Anglo-French and Old French voe (Modern French vœu), from Latin votum "a promise to a god, solemn pledge, dedication; that which is promised; a wish, desire, longing, prayer," noun use of neuter of votus, past participle of vovere "to promise solem

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