Fight the good fight

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Meaning

Persevere courageously in a worthy moral, religious or difficult cause. May be earnest, religious or lightly ironic. Good implies that the speaker judges the cause worthy. Regional use: Early modern English Bible tradition; now international English.

Origin

The wording comes from 1 Timothy, especially 6:12, where the King James Bible reads 'Fight the good fight of faith'. Earlier English versions show its development: Wycliffe had 'strive thou a good strife', while Tyndale and later Protestant translations moved toward the familiar fight wording before 1611. Secular use broadened the good fight from Christian faith to any cause considered honourable.

Research Sources

  1. 1 Timothy 6:12, King James Version Bible Gateway
  2. Fight the good fight Phrase Finder
  3. William Tyndale The Tyndale Society

Variants

  • Fight the good fight of faith
  • Keep fighting the good fight

Usage Examples

  • The campaigners promised to fight the good fight despite another defeat.
  • She spent forty years fighting the good fight for safer housing.
  • Keep fighting the good fight, but check that the evidence still supports your cause.

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