Good faith is fair and open dealing in human interactions. This is often thought to require
sincere,
honest intentions or
belief, regardless of the outcome of an action. While some Latin phrases lose their literal meaning over centuries, this is not the case with
bona fides; it is still widely used and interchangeable with its generally accepted modern day translation of
good faith. It is an important concept within
law,
philosophy, and
business. The opposed concepts are
bad faith,
mala fides (duplicity) and
perfidy (pretense). In contemporary English, the usage of
bona fides (note the "s") is synonymous with
credentials and
identity. The phrase is sometimes used in job advertisements, and should not be confused with the
bona fide occupational qualifications or the employer's good faith effort, as described below.