Wiary

Wiary is a Polish noun form commonly translated as faith or belief. The base word is wiara. The lemma wiara refers to the concept of faith, trust, or confidence, both in religious and secular contexts. The form wiary appears most often as the genitive singular of wiara, and it also occurs in noun phrases such as utrata wiary (loss of faith) and zachowanie wiary (preservation of faith). In broader usage, Polish expresses belief and trust in things beyond religious faith as well, e.g., wiara w sukces (belief in success).

The term originates from Proto-Slavic vera, with cognates in other Slavic languages such as Czech víra, Russian вера (vera), and Ukrainian віра (vira). In Polish, wiara is closely tied to religious language, church life, and moral discourse, but it is also used in secular contexts to describe trust or confidence in people, institutions, or ideas. Philosophical and sociological discussions of faith often distinguish between belief based on evidence, tradition, or personal experience, and the broader cultural role of faith in shaping values and identities.

In ordinary speech, wiara can refer to religious belief as well as to a more general sense of trust or confidence in something or someone. Its usage spans everyday language, literature, and theological or philosophical argument, reflecting the multifaceted nature of belief in Polish thought. See also: Faith, Belief, Religion, Theology.