faithful

1 of 2

adjective

faith·​ful ˈfāth-fəl 

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

ˈfāth-fə-lē 

adverb

faithfulness noun

faithfulness

2 of 2

noun

faith·​ful·​ness

-fəlnə̇s

plural -es

: the quality or state of being faithful

Synonyms of faithful

Adjective

• loyal
• steadfast
• staunch
• devout
• true

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

Sunday fell on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. —Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026

Sunday’s Mass fell on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. —Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026

Those faithful are making SpaceX not just the largest and most widely-lauded IPO ever, but sadly, far-and-away the most expensive. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 June 2026

Gregory Peck plays Sam in the 1962 adaptation, which is much more faithful to the source material. —Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

Middle English feithfulnesse, from feithful + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing faithful

• the faithful

Rhymes for faithful

• unfaithful

Kids Definition

faithful

1 of 2 adjective

faith·​ful ˈfāth-fəl 

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

-fə-lē 

adverb

faithfulness noun

faithful

2 of 2 noun

plural faithful or faithfuls

: one that has faith or is faithful