faithful

1 of 2

adjective

faith·​ful ˈfāth-fəl How to pronounce faithful (audio)
1
: steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal
a faithful friend
2
: firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious
a faithful employee
3
: given with strong assurance : binding
a faithful promise
4
: true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original
a faithful copy
5
obsolete : full of faith
faithfully adverb
faithfulness noun

faithful

2 of 2

noun

1
plural in construction
a
: church members in full communion and good standing
used with the
b
: the body of believers in Islam
used with the
2
plural faithful or faithfuls : one who is faithful
especially : a loyal follower, member, or fan
party faithfuls
Choose the Right Synonym for faithful

faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance.

faithful implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.

faithful to her promise

loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray.

remained loyal to the czar

constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows.

constant friends

staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it.

a staunch defender of free speech

steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction.

steadfast in their support

resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose.

a resolute ally

Examples of faithful in a Sentence

Adjective She has provided the company with many years of faithful service. He insists that he has always been faithful to his wife.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Its wide-ranging attack includes coercing and partnering with social-media companies, attempting to criminalize political speech, allocating government resources to control speech, and targeting concerned parents and faithful Catholics. Kenin M. Spivak, National Review, 10 Sep. 2023 This seemingly absurd observation emphasizes the difference between the real and the simulated: if the simulation is faithful to reality, spacetime should warp around the laptop, creating a black hole that swallows everything around it. Christof Koch, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023 Part of that faithful recreation needs to account for acoustics. Charlotte Hu, Popular Science, 7 Sep. 2023 If Fields, who went 0-4 in starts against Rodgers, wants to dramatically improve his status with the Bears faithful, a win over Love and Green Bay would go a long way. Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023 Watson’s father was Farragut’s faithful aide-de-camp. Longreads, 5 Sep. 2023 By the end of Friday’s first half, with West Aurora staring at a 24-14 deficit to Noble Bulls, more than a few of the Blackhawks’ faithful fans were getting nervous. Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2023 His three adult children with wife Charlotte remain active in their churches and dedicated to their Christian faith — thanks to his family’s longtime and dogged determination to raise faithful kids. Cathi Douglas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023 Without them, the dishes aren’t faithful to their origins, their true identity, as Wei explains. Eddie Lin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
Noun
There are diehard women’s game fans, burgeoning followers of the MLS and European faithful who insist powerhouses like Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only ones to watch. Sasha Richie, Dallas News, 28 July 2023 This first game in front of the Baylor faithful is pivotal for Shapen to build confidence and find a rhythm with the offense. Michael Haag, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023 Louisville Favorite son Jeff Brohm has come home to Louisville, and Cardinals’ faithful are expecting even bigger things after the good-but-not-great tenure of Scott Satterfield. USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023 The good news for the station-wagon faithful is that for 2000, the palette of available two-box nameplates from which to choose broadens by two to 19. Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 15 July 2023 Last year the duo toured with Nine Inch Nails, a very august legacy act, and the NIN faithful were largely magnetized. M.t. Richards, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2023 With photographs, videos and text, Mr. Markowitz introduced readers to a street corner where newcomers seek work in construction and food delivery, and the Muslim faithful take up nearly an entire city block during Eid al-Fitr services. John Otis, New York Times, 18 June 2023 Opposition from the Southern Cal faithful resulted in the matchup being cancelled in February 2020, a cancellation that cost USC $725,000. Tom Layberger, Forbes, 16 July 2023 The move both sparked an outcry among the conservative faithful and helped define the inclusiveness for which the church increasingly has become known. Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'faithful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English feithful, from feith faith entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

Noun

derivative of faithful entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of faithful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near faithful

Cite this Entry

“Faithful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faithful. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

faithful

1 of 2 adjective
faith·​ful ˈfāth-fəl How to pronounce faithful (audio)
1
: loyal sense 1b
a faithful friend
2
: firm in keeping promises or in fulfilling duties
a faithful worker
3
: true to the facts : accurate
faithful copy
faithfully adverb
faithfulness noun

faithful

2 of 2 noun
plural faithful or faithfuls
: one that has faith or is faithful

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