faithful

American  

[fayth-fuhl] / ˈfeɪθ fəl /

adjective

1. true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.

2. steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant.

   faithful friends.

   Synonyms:

   staunch, devoted, true

3. reliable, trusted, or believed.

4. strict or thorough in the performance of duty.

   a faithful worker.

5. adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate.

   a faithful account;

   a faithful copy.

   Synonyms:

   exact, precise

6. Obsolete. full of faith; believing.

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noun

1. the faithful,

   1. the believers, especially members of a Christian church or adherents of Islam.

   2. the body of loyal members of any party or group.

faithful British  

/ ˈfeɪθfʊl /

adjective

1. having faith; remaining true, constant, or loyal

2. maintaining sexual loyalty to one's lover or spouse

3. consistently reliable

   a faithful worker

4. reliable or truthful

   a faithful source

5. accurate in detail

   a faithful translation

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noun

1. 1. the believers in and loyal adherents of a religious faith, esp Christianity

   2. any group of loyal and steadfast followers

Synonym Usage

Faithful, constant, loyal imply qualities of stability, dependability, and devotion. Faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty, or obligation: a faithful friend. Constant suggests firmness and steadfastness in attachment: a constant affection. Loyal implies unswerving allegiance to a person, organization, cause, or idea: loyal to one's associates, one's country.

Other Word Forms

• faithfulness
  noun
• overfaithful
  adjective
• pseudofaithful
  adjective
• quasi-faithful
  adjective
• faithfully
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of faithful

First recorded in 1375–1425; see origin at faith, -ful

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Explanation

Faithful describes someone who is reliable and consistent. If you're a faithful volunteer at the animal shelter, you show up every Saturday and work hard to help the animals. A faithful friend is loyal and steadfast — it's no wonder that many people consider their dogs to be their most faithful companions. Though faithful usually describes a person, you can also use it to talk about a particularly reliable object, like your faithful hiking boots. There's another sense of faithful that means "remaining true to," like faithful believers who pray and attend religious services regularly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

faithful

A member of the laity felt it necessary to remind the faithful from the lectern that they were in the house of the Lord.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

But as he so often does, Doncic went to work in the first quarter, terrorizing Lendeborg and the Warriors’ faithful with 21 points.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Roxy, 33, had been rooting for comedian and faithful Joanne McNally in the latest celebrity series, before she was banished by her fellow faithful on Thursday.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

In September, Leo urged the faithful to shake off "all passivity and indifference" toward current events.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Then Suesetta steps closer to the mic and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in welcoming our faithful leader, Mrs. Fannie B. Peck.”

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

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Related Words

• affectionate
• ardent
• conscientious
• dependable
• devoted
• dutiful
• hard-core
• honest
• honorable
• loving
• obedient
• patriotic
• resolute
• scrupulous
• sincere
• staunch
• steadfast
• true
• trustworthy
• trusty

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