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

“I am moved by your faithfulness toward every little sentence,” he said about her translations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

But the director, who wrote his adaptation in collaboration with Philippe Piazzo, also isn’t content with mere novelistic faithfulness to an author whose traces of colonial allegory in “The Stranger” have often been found problematic.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Fennell’s emphasis on not claiming faithfulness to the text gives her “Wuthering Heights” the soft-focus gleam of the romance fanfiction that much of her audience likely grew up on.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

Their monogamy has also attracted the unwelcome attention of local traditional healers, who claim that the parts of crested crane may bring faithfulness from a partner - or good luck.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025

She had stopped using the leash, convinced of her husband's faithfulness, and for the first time since her return she seemed to have a moment of ease.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• adherence
• allegiance
• fealty
• fidelity