Quick Definition
ἀπιστία, ας, ἡ n.f. unbelief, unfaithfulness, distrust
Strong's Definition
from 571; faithlessness, i.e. (negatively) disbelief (lack of Christian faith), or (positively) unfaithfulness (disobedience)
KJV Usage: unbelief
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ας | ἀ- + πιστεύω
31.89 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Trust, Rely
lacking in trustworthiness, unfaithfulness the state of being someone in whom confidence cannot be placed The occurrence of both ἀπιστία and πίστις (31.88) in this expression in ROM 3:3 may cause certain difficulties in appropriately rendering the meaning in other languages. It may therefore be necessary to spell out in some detail the fuller implications of ἀπιστία and πίστις. Moreover, the question implies a negative response, but the question (since it is rhetorical) can easily be rendered as a strong negative statement, for example, ‘the fact that they were persons who could not be trusted does not mean that God cannot be trusted.’
31.97 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Trust, Rely
to not believe (in), to refuse to believe, to not trust in, unbelief to refuse to put one’s trust or reliance in something or someone One of the serious problems involved in rendering ‘to believe’ or ‘to refuse to believe’ is that so frequently the NT text does not indicate precisely the goal or object of such belief.
In a number of languages, however, the syntactic requirements are such that some clear goal must be in the immediate context. For example, in MRK 16:16 it may be possible to translate ‘whoever refuses to believe the good news shall be condemned.’
MRK 6:6 · MRK 9:24 · ROM 4:20 · ROM 11:20 · ROM 11:23 · HEB 3:19
1 In contrast with ἀπιστέω[a] (31.39) meaning to not believe that something is true, ἀπιστέω[b] (and ἀπιστία[b] ) involve a refusal to put one’s trust, reliance, or belief in something or someone. ἀπιστέω[b] thus has a number of significant added components of meaning. 2 The same factors apply to the classification of ἀπιστέω[c] and ἀπιστία[c] as apply to the classification of πιστεύω[c] and πίστις[d] (31.102), in view of the fact that a set of specific beliefs or relationships is clearly implied.
noun, f. | -ας | ὀλιγωρέω + πιστεύω
31.95 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Trust, Rely
to not have enough faith, to have limited faith the state of having little or inadequate faith
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀπιστία, -as, 7, (fr. ἄπιστος), want of faith and trust; 1. unfaithfulness, faithlessness, (of persons betraying a trust): Ro. iii. 3 [cf. reff. s. v. ἀπιστέω, 1]. 2. want of Saith, unbelief: shown in withholding belief in the divine power, Mk. xvi. 14, or in the power and promises of God, Ro. iv. 20; Heb. iii. 19; in the divine mission of Jesus, Mt. xiii. 58; Mk. vi.6; by opposition to the gospel, 1 Tim. 1. 18; with the added notion of obstinacy, Ro. xi. 20, 23; Heb. iii. 12. contextually, weakness of faith: Mt. xvii. 20 (where LT Tr WH ὀλιγοπιστίαν) ; Mk. ix. 24. (In Grk. writ. fr. Hes. and Hdt. down.)
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἀπιστία, -ας, ἡ
(< ἄπιστος), [in LXX: Wi 14:25, IV Mac 12:4*;]
want of faith, unbelief: Mt 13:58, Mk 6:6 9:24 16:14, Ro 3:3 (but v.s. ἀπιστέω) Ro 4:20 11:20, 23, I Ti 1:13, He 3:12, 19 (DCG, ii, 775a; Cremer, 492).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀπιστία appears in the quasi-Ionic οἍϑ the illiterate P Par 23° (B.C. 165) kat’ ἀπιστηίην : ἀπιστίη was the real Ionic, and we have to take this as a mere blunder—see Mayser Gy, pp: 11 f., 130.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἀπιστία (apistia) — unbelief. ἀπιστία, Ionic dialect -ίη, ἡ, unbelief, distrust, πίστεις.. δμῶς καὶ ἀπιστίαι ὤλεσαν ἄνδρας beliefs and disbeliefs, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὑπὸ ἀ. μὴ γενέσθαι τι from disbelief that.., [Refs]; ἀ. πρὸς ἑαυτόν lack of self-confidence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπιστίαν ἔχειν περί τινος to be in doubt, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὸς -ίαν τοῦ κατηγόρου to discredit him, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. of things, τὰ εἰρημένα ἐς ἀ. πολλὴν ἀπῖκται[Refs 5th c.BC+]; πολλὰς ἀπιστίας ἔχει it admits of many doubts, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀτοπία καὶ ἀπιστία incredibility, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. want of faith, faithlessness, θνήσκει δὲ πίστις βλαστάνει δ᾽ ἀ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; treachery, [Refs 5th c.BC+]