faithfully
Americanadverb
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in a strict or thorough way.
This plan was faithfully carried out to the last detail.
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remaining true to one’s promises, allegiance, affection, or beliefs; loyally.
The old man lived as faithfully as he could, always trying to set an example for younger members of his church.
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in a way that is reliable and can be trusted or believed.
The plant will die back to the ground during a hard freeze; however, it faithfully returns in spring.
In accepting taxpayer funds, the recipient agrees to faithfully account for all monies received from the county.
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in a way that adheres to fact, a standard, or an original.
The tribute band tries to faithfully reproduce the sound, style, arrangement, and instrumentation of the original artist’s recordings.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of faithfully
Explanation
To act faithfully is to behave in a dependable and honorable way. A dog who waits faithfully outside your school until you get out of class is devoted and trustworthy. The adverb faithfully describes an action or behavior that's faithful — in other words, it's steadfast, loyal and reliable. An actor's parents might faithfully attend every play he's in, no matter how small his role is. Your devout uncle might faithfully attend church every single Sunday. In both examples, a person is dependable. The earliest meaning of faithfully was "acting in a way full of (religious) faith," or being pious, especially as a Christian.
Vocabulary lists containing faithfully
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also called on Britain to "faithfully fulfil" its obligations under the China–UK Bilateral Investment Treaty.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mike Makowsky’s dramatic miniseries “Death by Lightning” faithfully preserves the stirring rhetoric of the man who would become America’s 20th commander in chief.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Jean-Antoine Houdon’s terracotta bust of the polymath captures his likeness faithfully, giving a full sense of his energy, brilliance and homespun charm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Nauru would change its name to "Naoero" to "more faithfully honour our nation's heritage, our language, and our identity", President David Adeang said in a statement Tuesday evening.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
In the street I saw the receptionist and myself going faithfully through paces that were stale with familiarity, although I had never encountered that kind of situation before and, probably, neither had she.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
