Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

faithfully

American  
[feyth-fuh-lee] / ˈfeɪθ fə li /

adverb

  1. in a strict or thorough way.

    This plan was faithfully carried out to the last detail.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

faithful ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

See Examples For:

"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

The Supreme Court told us in Slaughter that the president’s constitutional duty is to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

From Slate Jul. 13, 2026

Korkejian’s grandmother visited faithfully, and the distance between them remained charged with love.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 29, 2026

I devoured everything Akhi said and tried to faithfully execute everything he told me through the weeks and months of practicing together.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training