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.

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Other Word Forms

• overfaithfully
  adverb
• pseudofaithfully
  adverb
• quasi-faithfully
  adverb

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.

Example Sentences

"People who followed the rules faithfully now face tremendous uncertainty."

From BBC • May 23, 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

Consider Utah, whose state Supreme Court has faithfully enforced a voter-approved gerrymandering ban.

From Slate • May 11, 2026

Robert Icke’s “Oedipus” was hardly a retread of an ancient Greek classic and “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” may have hewed faithfully to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score, but everything else about this production seemed completely reborn.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Reproducing the Greek arguments faithfully, Maimonides contended that the hollow spheres that twirled about the earth had to be moved by something, say, the next sphere out.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• conscientiously