fidelity

American  

[fi-del-i-tee, fahy-] / fɪˈdɛl ɪ ti, faɪ- /

noun

plural

fidelities

1. strict observance of promises, duties, etc..

   a servant's fidelity.

2. loyalty.

   fidelity to one's country.

   Antonyms:

   disloyalty

3. conjugal faithfulness.

4. adherence to fact or detail.

5. accuracy; exactness.

   The speech was transcribed with great fidelity.

   Synonyms:

   rigor, faithfulness, precision

6. Audio, Video. the degree of accuracy with which sound or images are recorded or reproduced.

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fidelity British  

/ fɪˈdɛlɪtɪ /

noun

1. devotion to duties, obligations, etc; faithfulness

2. loyalty or devotion, as to a person or cause

3. faithfulness to one's spouse, lover, etc

4. adherence to truth; accuracy in reporting detail

5. electronics the degree to which the output of a system, such as an amplifier or radio, accurately reproduces the characteristics of the input signal See also high fidelity

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Related Words

See loyalty.

Other Word Forms

• nonfidelity noun
• unfidelity noun

Etymology

Origin of fidelity

First recorded in 1500–10; late Middle English fidelite (from Middle French ), from Latin fidēlitās, equivalent to fidēli- (stem of fidēlis “loyal,” equivalent to fidē(s) faith + -lis adjective suffix) + -tās -ty ²

Example Sentences

But Mr. Markovits’s writing is restrained and plainspoken, and it draws us in with the fidelity by which it inhabits Tom’s dejection.

From The Wall Street Journal

The research team recommends future work on route fidelity, since, as Cappello notes, "if consistent patterns exist it could help focus conservation efforts on specific, high-use areas along their migratory route."

From Science Daily

Bok, a mystically inclined author as well as artist, combined hallucinatory forms with imaginative fidelity to the texts he illustrated.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. George’s departure from the Heritage board means that the institution may be less likely to heed his call to be “unbending and unflinching” in its fidelity to these principles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cohn’s sound design also offered a taste of the grimy, intense New York of the 1970s, but he wanted to remain flexible in terms of period fidelity.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• devotion
• loyalty