Ex fide fiducia
“From faith comes confidence.”
Motto of St George’s College, Harare
What does “Ex fide fiducia” mean?
Ex fide fiducia translates as “From faith comes confidence.”
Trust in God or in something greater gives a person confidence.
“Ex fide fiducia” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Ex | from, out of | a preposition that takes the ablative case; here it governs fide |
| fide | faith | ablative singular of fides, “faith, trust”, a feminine noun of the fifth declension |
| fiducia | confidence, trust | nominative singular of fiducia, “confidence, reliance”, a feminine noun of the first declension; the subject of the phrase |
How to pronounce “Ex fide fiducia”
The two systems differ in fide, where ae-style ending e sounds like “day” in Classical and “deh” in Church Latin, and in the c of fiducia, which is hard (k) in Classical and soft (ch) in Church Latin. The stress falls on the first syllable of fide and the second syllable of fiducia in both.
The story behind it
Word for word the phrase says “from faith, confidence”, with the verb left out, as Latin mottos often do. Fides and fiducia come from the same root, which gives the line its neat sound and its point: confidence grows out of faith.
This is not a line from an ancient author. It is a modern Latin motto, used by St George’s College in Harare, Zimbabwe, and by Hartmann House Preparatory School. Both are schools, and the line suits them: it ties trust in something greater to the self-assurance a young person needs.
Outside schools it can serve anyone who wants a short statement that belief, whether religious or not, is where steady confidence begins.
How to use “Ex fide fiducia”
A fitting motto for a school, a church group or a team, and a short tattoo or card message for someone drawing strength from their faith. It also works as a caption for a moment of trust or courage.
- Latin
- Ex fide fiducia
- English
- From faith comes confidence.
- Source
- Motto of St George’s College, Harare
- Era
- Modern Latin
- Theme
- Faith
Common mistakes
- It is not a classical Roman saying. It is a modern motto, so do not credit it to Cicero or any ancient author.
- The verb “comes” is not in the Latin. Do not add est or venit when copying it; the short form is the usual one.
- Fides here means faith or trust, not “faithfulness to a promise”, and fiducia means confidence, not “fidelity”. Do not swap the two words.
- Ex fide is often misspelled “Ex fidei” or “Ex fido”; fide is the correct ablative after ex.
Questions about “Ex fide fiducia”
What does “Ex fide fiducia” mean literally?
Literally “from faith, confidence”. A natural English rendering is “From faith comes confidence”, with the verb understood.
Where does “Ex fide fiducia” come from?
It is the motto of St George’s College in Harare, Zimbabwe, and of Hartmann House Preparatory School. It is a modern Latin motto, not an ancient quotation.
How do you pronounce “Ex fide fiducia”?
Classical: eks FEE-day fee-DOO-kee-ah. Church Latin: eks FEE-deh fee-DOO-chah. The stress is on FEE and DOO in both.
Is “Ex fide fiducia” correct Latin for a tattoo?
Yes. Ex takes the ablative, and fide is the ablative of fides. The missing verb is normal for a Latin motto, so you do not need to add one.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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