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.
"I swear ... that I will faithfully carry out the duties of president of the republic," Peru's ninth president in a decade stated before Congress.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yet physicians would join only if the AMA more faithfully represented their views.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“His commitment to uplifting those around him extended far beyond sports, as he faithfully served in his church, offering support, counsel and friendship to anyone in need,” the post read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
He praised their demeanour as "exemplary" and said that, despite all obstacles, they faithfully followed and participated in proceedings and were an essential part of getting justice for Natalie.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“What about an exact electric duplicate of your cat? We can have a superb handcrafted job by Wheelright & Carpenter in which every detail of the old animal is faithfully repeated in permanent—”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
