fidedigna

Fidedigna is a Spanish adjective meaning trustworthy, credible, or reliable. It is used to describe information, documents, testimonies, or people that are considered worthy of trust. The feminine form is fidedigna and the masculine form is fidedigno, and both agree with the noun they modify.

Etymology and nuance: fidedigna derives from the root fides (faith, trust) combined with the suffix -digno, meaning worthy. The term emphasizes not just accuracy but the deserved confidence of the source or content.

Usage: In formal language, fidedigna often appears in phrases such as fuentes fidedignas (reliable sources), información fidedigna (credible information), or prueba fidedigna (credible evidence). It is commonly used in journalism, law, and official communications to indicate trustworthiness based on evidence or corroboration. It can describe a person as a trustworthy individual, for example, una testigo fidedigna (a credible witness).

Related terms: While fidedigna conveys trustworthiness, other related concepts include credibilidad (credibility) and fiabilidad (reliability). The word fidedigna is generally preferred when stressing worthy of trust grounded in evidence rather than mere belief.

See also: credibilidad, fiabilidad, fuentes fidedignas, prueba fidedigna.