faithful

[feyth-fuhl]

adjective

1. true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.

2. steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant.

   faithful friends.

   Synonyms: staunch, devoted, true

3. reliable, trusted, or believed.

4. strict or thorough in the performance of duty.

   a faithful worker.

5. adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate.

   a faithful account;

   a faithful copy.

   Synonyms: exact, precise

6. Obsolete.,  full of faith; believing.

noun

1. the faithful,

   1. the believers, especially members of a Christian church or adherents of Islam.

   2. the body of loyal members of any party or group.

faithful

/ ˈfeɪθfʊl /

adjective

1. having faith; remaining true, constant, or loyal

2. maintaining sexual loyalty to one's lover or spouse

3. consistently reliable

   a faithful worker

4. reliable or truthful

   a faithful source

5. accurate in detail

   a faithful translation

noun

1. 1. the believers in and loyal adherents of a religious faith, esp Christianity

   2. any group of loyal and steadfast followers

Other Word Forms

• faithfully adverb
• faithfulness noun
• overfaithful adjective
• pseudofaithful adjective
• quasi-faithful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of faithful¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; faith, -ful

Synonym Study

Faithful, constant, loyal imply qualities of stability, dependability, and devotion. Faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty, or obligation: a faithful friend. Constant suggests firmness and steadfastness in attachment: a constant affection. Loyal implies unswerving allegiance to a person, organization, cause, or idea: loyal to one's associates, one's country.

Example Sentences

Celebrity Traitors, aired on the BBC, is a spin-off of the TV show Traitors UK, which sees some of contestants assigned as "traitors", while the remaining "faithful" contestants must attempt to root them out.

Read more on BBC

He added that briefings to the press against him were "the worst attack on a faithful since Joe Marler was banished in The Traitors final".

Read more on BBC

The statue of William Shakespeare in New York’s Central Park might or might not be a faithful reproduction, but it does a superb job of reflecting his literary reputation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It's been tearing me apart, I'm so sorry," he howled, as he revealed to the remaining faithfuls that he'd always been a traitor.

Read more on BBC

The sight of Foden in full flow, creative and scoring delightful goals like the two against Dortmund, has delighted Guardiola and the City faithful, who adore their local hero.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• affectionate 
• ardent 
• conscientious 
• dependable 
• devoted 
• dutiful 
• hard-core 
• honest 
• honorable 
• loving 
• obedient 
• patriotic 
• resolute 
• scrupulous 
• sincere 
• staunch 
• steadfast 
• true 
• trustworthy 
• trusty