maintain confidence

USAGE SUMMARY

"maintain confidence" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means to keep or preserve a feeling or belief in oneself or something/someone. Example: In order to succeed as a leader, it is important to maintain confidence in your decision-making abilities, even when facing challenges.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"You have to maintain confidence.

The New York Times - Sports

What that does is maintain confidence in the project.

The Guardian

They worked closely with both the complainant's family and local people to maintain confidence.

The Guardian

They need the support of the government to maintain confidence in law and order.

The Guardian - Opinion

The Fed, which oversees bank holding companies, wants to maintain confidence in the banking system.

The New York Times

And they have to maintain confidence, otherwise they can't maintain their leadership position".

The New York Times

His aim seems to be to maintain confidence without letting anyone get carried away.

The Economist

We have to prepare well and we have above all to maintain confidence at this moment.

Independent

Still, some of his allies maintain confidence in the governor, and point out that he is often underestimated.

The New York Times

It is still possible, though unlikely, that Mr Monti may be urged to stay on as premier to maintain confidence.

The Guardian - Business

But Fleury has the mental toughness to quickly forget bad performances, helping him eliminate doubt and maintain confidence.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about maintaining confidence in systems or institutions, provide specific examples of actions or policies that support this confidence. For example, "To maintain confidence in the banking system, regulators implemented stricter oversight measures."

Common error

Avoid simply stating that confidence needs to be maintained without explaining why it is important or how it will be achieved. Instead, provide context and actionable steps to support your claim. For example, instead of saying "We must maintain confidence", say "We must maintain confidence by investing in employee training and customer service improvements."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintain confidence" functions primarily as a verb phrase where "maintain" acts as a transitive verb requiring an object ("confidence"). According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct. Examples demonstrate its use in various contexts, emphasizing the act of preserving trust or assurance.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Science

12%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "maintain confidence" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase that emphasizes preserving trust or assurance. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is versatile, appearing in news, science, and business contexts, and its meaning is consistently understood. To use it effectively, provide context and evidence to support your claim. Consider using alternatives like "preserve assurance" or "sustain belief" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

preserve assurance

Focuses more on actively keeping assurance from diminishing.

uphold certainty

Implies actively supporting or defending a state of certainty.

sustain belief

Highlights the continuation of a belief over time.

keep up morale

Focuses on maintaining a positive attitude or spirit, especially in a group.

bolster self-esteem

Specifically refers to strengthening one's feeling of self-worth.

reinforce conviction

Suggests strengthening a firm belief or opinion.

foster trust

Emphasizes nurturing or developing trust.

cultivate faith

Focuses on developing and nurturing faith over time.

secure reliance

Highlights the act of ensuring or guaranteeing dependence.

assure reliance

Emphasis is on giving reliance to guarantee dependence.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "maintain confidence" in a sentence?

Use "maintain confidence" to emphasize the importance of preserving trust or assurance in a person, system, or idea. For instance, "The company needs a new strategy to "maintain confidence" among investors".

What are some alternatives to saying "maintain confidence"?

You can use alternatives such as "preserve assurance", "uphold certainty", or "sustain belief" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to "maintain confidence" or "build confidence"?

"Maintain confidence" is used when there is already a level of trust that needs to be preserved. "Build confidence" is used when starting from a lower level or no trust, implying a need to create it. Choose the phrase that aligns with the existing level of trust in your specific scenario.

What is the difference between "maintain confidence" and "retain confidence"?

While both phrases are similar, "maintain confidence" suggests an ongoing effort to keep confidence at a certain level, while "retain confidence" simply implies holding onto the existing confidence without necessarily implying active effort. Consider if you want to emphasize sustained effort, or simple retention.