confident
UK[ˈkɒnfɪdənt]US[ˈkɑːnfɪdənt]
adj
Feeling or showing certainty about something.
adj
Feeling sure about your own abilities, qualities, or ideas.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
fid
ent
con
together, with
fid
trust
ent
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word "confident" originates from the Latin verb confidere, meaning "to trust fully, to rely on." This verb itself is a compound of the intensive prefix con- ("with, thoroughly") and the root fidere ("to trust"). The Latin present participle confidens ("trusting") evolved into the English adjective. The core semantic logic has remained remarkably consistent: from the literal ancient sense of "having full trust (in someone or something)," it developed into the modern abstract meaning of being sure of oneself or one's position. The root fid- is part of a widespread Indo-European family related to trust and faith, also seen in words like "fidelity," "perfidy," and "confidant."
Analysis
Structure: con (together, with) + fid (trust) + ent (adjective suffix)
- con: A Latin prefix meaning "together, with, thoroughly."
- fid: A Latin root from fidere, meaning "to trust."
- ent: A Latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, meaning "being in a state of."
Examples
She gave a confident presentation to the board of directors.
He is confident that his team will succeed.
A confident smile can make a strong first impression.