bestes Wissen und Gewissen

German

Etymology

Literally: “(one’s) best knowledge and conscience”. Compare Dutch best weten en geweten.

Phrase

bestes Wissen und Gewissen

1. the best of one's knowledge; good faith; roughly combining the senses of both English idioms, namely that one does or says something in the honest conviction of its correctness but under the condition of the fallibility of one’s knowledge and competences

Usage notes

• Most often used after the prepositions mit (“with”) or nach (“according to”), in both of which cases the adjective must be inflected to bestem.