Con·fi·dence n.
 1. The act of confiding, trusting, or putting faith in; trust; reliance; belief; -- formerly followed by of, now commonly by in.
    Society is built upon trust, and trust upon confidence of one another's integrity.   --South.
    A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God.   --Macaulay.
 2. That in which faith is put or reliance had.
    The Lord shall be thy confidence.   --Prov. iii. 26.
 3. The state of mind characterized by one's reliance on himself, or his circumstances; a feeling of self-sufficiency; such assurance as leads to a feeling of security; self-reliance; -- often with self prefixed.
 Your wisdom is consumed in confidence;
 Do not go forth to-day.   --Shak.
 But confidence then bore thee on secure
 Either to meet no danger, or to find
 Matter of glorious trial.   --Milton.
 4. Private conversation; (pl.) secrets shared; as, there were confidences between them.
    Sir, I desire some confidence with you.   --Shak.
 Confidence game, any swindling operation in which advantage is taken of the confidence reposed by the victim in the swindler; several swindlers often work together to create the illusion of truth; -- also called con game.
 Confidence man, a swindler.
 To take into one's confidence, to admit to a knowledge of one's feelings, purposes, or affairs.
 Syn: -- Trust; assurance; expectation; hope.
    I am confident that very much be done.   --Boyle.
 2. Trustful; without fear or suspicion; frank; unreserved.
 Be confident to speak, Northumberland;
 We three are but thyself.   --Shak.
 3. Having self-reliance; bold; undaunted.
 As confident as is the falcon's flight
 Against a bird, do I with Mowbray fight.   --Shak.
 4. Having an excess of assurance; bold to a fault; dogmatical; impudent; presumptuous.
    The fool rageth and is confident.   --Prov. xiv. 16.
 5. Giving occasion for confidence. [R.]
    The cause was more confident than the event was prosperous.   --Jer. Taylor.

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 con game
      n : a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a
          person to buy worthless property [syn: bunco, {bunco
          game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick,
          confidence game, gyp, hustle, sting, flimflam]