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

"I worked honestly and faithfully with the Americans for years," fellow evacuee Latif tells the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

More and more versions of “If you don’t want to adapt literature faithfully, call it something else,” are popping up online daily.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

For the first time, researchers showed that these human spinal cord organoids can faithfully reproduce the major biological consequences of spinal cord injury.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

So I can’t promise that I will faithfully follow the Costanza Method next year.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by my side to class.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Related Words

• conscientiously