Infid

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An archaic variant of infidel, referring to a person who does not hold the faith of a given religion
2. A rare old form of infidel, used for someone who rejects or does not believe in the prevailing religion
3. An obsolete spelling meaning a person outside the accepted faith, especially one regarded as unbelieving

Etymology: "Infid" is an older, shortened form of "infidel," and it comes from the same Latin root. The Latin "infidelis" was built from "in-," meaning "not," and "fidelis," meaning "faithful," so its original sense was simply "unfaithful" or "untrustworthy," without any religious meaning. "Fidelis" in turn comes from "fides," meaning "trust" or "faith," which connects it to "confide," since both descend from the Latin verb "fidere," "to trust." The religious sense developed later. Over time, the word narrowed to mean a person who lacked the true faith, especially someone who did not share the speaker's Christian beliefs. That narrower meaning is what "infidel" carries today, while "infid" survives mainly in older writing.

Synonyms: infidel, unbeliever, heathen

Antonyms: believer