unfaithful

[uhn-feyth-fuhl]

adjective

1. not faithful; false to duty, obligation, or promises; disloyal.

   Given how unfaithful the party has been to voters, it would be surprising if they won.

   Synonyms: recreant, treacherous, deceitful, untrustworthy

2. not sexually loyal to a spouse or lover; adulterous.

   She was concerned her husband would be unfaithful when he travelled.

3. not accurate or complete; inexact.

   The book was an unfaithful translation of the original.

   Synonyms: untrue, imprecise

4. Obsolete.,  without religious faith; unbelieving.

unfaithful

/ ʌnˈfeɪθfʊl /

adjective

1. not true to a promise, vow, etc

2. not true to a wife, husband, lover, etc, esp in having sexual intercourse with someone else

3. inaccurate; inexact; unreliable; untrustworthy

   unfaithful copy

4. obsolete,  not having religious faith; infidel

5. obsolete,  not upright; dishonest

Other Word Forms

• unfaithfulness noun
• unfaithfully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unfaithful¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English unfeithful, unfaithful; un- ¹ + faithful ( def. )

Example Sentences

It’s not that she’s unfaithful to the material.

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Denying ever assaulting a woman, Giggs admitted to being unfaithful in all his previous relationships.

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During the trial, Holly has been portrayed by him to be a nasty, unfaithful girlfriend who had multiple boyfriends, this could not be further from the truth.

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Stewart said the act was “neither naughty nor unfaithful.”

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The word has sexual connotations, too, meaning a man whose female partner is unfaithful.

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Related Words

• cheating www.thesaurus.com
• untrue