Definition of faithfulnext

faithful

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word faithful distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of faithful are constant, loyal, resolute, staunch, and steadfast. While all these words 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

When might constant be a better fit than faithful?

The words constant and faithful can be used in similar contexts, but constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows.

constant friends

When would loyal be a good substitute for faithful?

While the synonyms loyal and faithful are close in meaning, loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray.

remained loyal to the czar

When is it sensible to use resolute instead of faithful?

Although the words resolute and faithful have much in common, resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose.

a resolute ally

When can staunch be used instead of faithful?

The synonyms staunch and faithful are sometimes interchangeable, but staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it.

a staunch defender of free speech

When could steadfast be used to replace faithful?

The meanings of steadfast and faithful largely overlap; however, steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction.

steadfast in their support

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of faithful
Adjective
Levi’s Vintage Clothing describes the LVC 646 Jeans as a faithful reproduction of the ’70s style. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 If the prospect of being speedily dismissed by Pat Murphy’s gang is a downer for the Rays’ faithful, a 4-0 door-slam may be even more distressful to Fox and its advertising partners. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
Williams was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court, where the Thunder faithful were chanting his name. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The Green Bay Packers led wire-to-wire on their way to a 23-13 victory in front of their home faithful in a result that has gotten all too familiar between these two teams over the past 15 years. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for faithful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faithful
Adjective
  • Officials who appear loyal today might withhold cooperation from a startled regime, engage in a power struggle, or defect en masse.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Half the room was firmly against, loyal to their elevated athleisure and silk pants with drawstring waists, a smaller contingent was staunchly pro, and one editor who shall remain unnamed voiced a defense of the travel skirt.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • An accurate travel insurance comparison accounts for multiple factors.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The database was developed using portions of a commercially available version of California’s voter rolls that the government acknowledged might not be entirely accurate.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Mamadou Wadji, 37, heads a shoemakers’ cooperative whose members were moved from a busy market beside Iba Mar Diop stadium to an unfinished school building in an out-of-the-way location so the stadium could be expanded for the Games.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In 2012, Maui County backed a harvesting cooperative of its own.
    — Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The first Prancing Horse without a combustion engine was always going to be an affront to the most hard-core faction of the brand’s many loyalists, but disappointment with the important model surpassed even them.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t tell that to the MAGA loyalists gathered in Dalton for his rally.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Remaining steadfast in his dharma (religious and moral principles), Rama rejects all of Lakshmana’s suggestions for resistance and insists that obedience to his father and preservation of righteousness must take precedence over royal position.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Amid those woes, the team brought in Tucker to provide competition, but Toub remained steadfast in his support of Butker.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • For her, the recognition is a way to show people how to stay true to their art.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Not only were the stories never proven true, but also at least one student later admitted to lying.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the film, Coon plays Rita Cooper, a Holocaust survivor who abandons her family to join up with a mysterious commune.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Happy hour is oyster hour, particularly in La Guérinière, a commune with a rich history of oyster farming.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Tensions between the two Koreas have been high since mine blasts at their border last month wounded three South Korean soldiers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Haitian police officers have complained that the foreign soldiers are reluctant to confront gangs or hold territory taken back from gangs.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Faithful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faithful. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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