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

Currently, the French civil code defines the duties of marriage as "respect, fidelity, support and assistance," and it says that couples commit themselves to a "community of living".

From BBC

The company “has a clear understanding” of what it has to do to achieve target fidelity, Jensen noted.

From Barron's

The result was the Wall of Sound, a massive bank of carefully chosen stage speakers that projected clear fidelity without distortion.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reinforcing this point, Congress then sent its Olive Branch Petition to George III declaring the fidelity of colonists “to your Majesty’s person, family, and government” and asking him to rein in Parliament.

From Salon

It has cut back on the amount of hardware needed to control large numbers of qubits, the basic units of information in a quantum computer, without degrading fidelity.

From Barron's

Related Words

• devotion
• loyalty