faithful

American  

[fayth-fuhl] / ˈfeɪθ fəl /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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noun

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

   2. any group of loyal and steadfast followers

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

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Etymology

Origin of faithful

First recorded in 1375–1425; see origin at faith, -ful

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Explanation

Faithful describes someone who is reliable and consistent. If you're a faithful volunteer at the animal shelter, you show up every Saturday and work hard to help the animals. A faithful friend is loyal and steadfast — it's no wonder that many people consider their dogs to be their most faithful companions. Though faithful usually describes a person, you can also use it to talk about a particularly reliable object, like your faithful hiking boots. There's another sense of faithful that means "remaining true to," like faithful believers who pray and attend religious services regularly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

faithful

Cameron Winter had one last knife to twist for the Dodger faithful in the audience at Hollywood Forever on Thursday night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

McKellen moved to Wigan as a child, but remained faithful to his Burnley roots, and performed at Burnley Youth Theatre in 2019 as part of his 80th birthday tour.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

These were helpers and gentle evangelists, faithful people with solid values and a common faith.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

On Sunday, in a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers, Leo told faithful in St Peter's Square that doctors had discovered the nodule "at a very early stage" during recent medical checks.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

As for Lola—my high-living, chain-smoking cousin—here she was, still as lean and fit as a racing dog, and still faithful.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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Related Words

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

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