Good-faith

Done with honest intent and without a plan to deceive or exploit.

Reach for it when describing sincere participation while avoiding a claim that the action was correct

Both groups made a good-faith effort to verify the disputed boundary.

• playful

  aboveboard

  open, honest dealing suits an informal business voice

  not when Aboveboard concerns transparency and sounds casual in legal analysis.

• everyday

  honest

  truthfulness and lack of deception are the central qualities

  not when Honest also describes statements, while good-faith identifies the purpose behind an act.

• warm

  earnest

  serious effort and conviction are visible

  not when Earnest people can still act strategically or on mistaken beliefs.

• warm

  sincere

  genuine intent matters more than procedure

  not when Sincerity cannot establish that a claim or decision is accurate.

• warm

  well-intentioned

  benevolent motive deserves acknowledgment despite a poor result

  not when Good intentions alone do not rule out negligence or unfair advantage.

• professional

  genuine

  the action is real and not merely performed for appearance

  not when Genuine says little about fairness or lawful purpose.

• formal

  bona fide

  authentic status or legal genuineness needs a recognized term

  not when Bona fide can mean genuine rather than honestly attempted.

• bad-faith
• deceptive
• fraudulent

• good-faith effort

  A good-faith effort included sharing the records that weakened their case.

• good-faith negotiation

  Good-faith negotiation requires more than attending the meeting.

• good-faith belief

  The court examined whether the good-faith belief was reasonable.

Good faith has context-specific legal meanings. Honest intent does not establish legality, accuracy, fairness, or reasonable care.