Trust vs. faith vs. confidence vs. reliance

Trust vs. faith vs. confidence vs. reliance

These nouns denote a feeling of certainty that a person or thing will not fail.

Trust implies depth and assurance of feeling that is often based on inconclusive evidence: The mayor vowed to justify the trust the electorate had placed in him.

Faith connotes unquestioning, often emotionally charged belief: "Often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the result come true" (William James).

Confidence frequently implies stronger grounds for assurance: "The experience ... made me want to be a surgeon—not an amateur handed the knife for a brief moment but someone with the confidence and ability to proceed as if it were routine" (Atul Gawande).

Reliance connotes a confident and trustful commitment to another: "What reliance could they place on the protection of a prince so recently their enemy?" (William Hickling Prescott).