faithfulness

American  

[feyth-fuhl-nis] / ˈfeɪθ fəl nɪs /

noun

1. lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships, especially marriage and friendship.

   A wedding ring is a symbol of unending love and faithfulness to each other.

   I remember the faithfulness of so many friends and family who sent me emails, visited me, and stood with me during my ordeal.

2. the fact or quality of being true to one’s word or commitments, as to what one has pledged to do, professes to believe, etc..

   In the Bible, the psalmist David reports God's faithfulness in keeping promises.

3. the fact or quality of being dedicated and steadfast in performing one’s duty, working for a cause, etc..

   We lawyers have an ethical obligation to represent our clients with diligence, faithfulness, and competence.

4. the quality of adhering to fact, a standard, or an original; accuracy.

   Professional translators often focus on the faithfulness of a translation to the original, with too little attention to the naturalness or comprehensibility of the translated version.

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Other Word Forms

• overfaithfulness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of faithfulness

faithful ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Faithfulness is commitment to someone or something. Faithfulness is especially valued in spouses and in sports fans. When a married person is faithful, they stand by their spouse and don't cheat. Faithfulness refers to this quality of being faithful and loyal. A patriotic person is full of faithfulness to their country. Someone who works at one company for decades has faithfulness to that company. People can have faithfulness to ideas too, including religious, political, and artistic ideas.

Example Sentences

They must be righteous, and must 'keep faithfulness' being true to the God who is 'faithful and true' in all His relations.

From Expositions of Holy Scripture Isaiah and Jeremiah by Maclaren, Alexander

Related Words

• adherence
• allegiance
• fealty
• fidelity