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faithful

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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
The Jewish faithful have many celebrations, and for some, the most solemn — Yom Kippur — is set to begin. Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025 The 48,000 Yankee faithful will be buzzing. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
Look away now, Philly faithful. Ben Church, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Where did those formerly faithful go? Big Think, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for faithful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for faithful
Adjective
  • The outlet also opined that someone who is brought into a business venture because of their loyalty to MAGA could feel more pressure to remain loyal.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Nazi regime urged pastors to join a nationalist Reich Church more loyal to Adolf Hitler than to God.
    Rev. Nathan Empsall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Many experts donated years of their time and decades of expertise to help me make these depictions as rich and accurate as possible.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
  • These projections have been fairly accurate over the past decade, with sportsbooks predicting the East’s total number of regular season wins within single digits six times.
    Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The following products from Pacific Coast Producers, an agricultural cooperative based in California, are under recall: Pears Halves in Pear Juice from Concentrate3 Net weight: 15 oz.
    Jenna Anderson, Health, 14 Oct. 2025
  • It was originally established as a cooperative under the name of Beirut DC in 1999 by a group of Lebanese filmmakers and cultural organizers.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Republican president has downsized his foreign policy team since his first term, eschewing the typical array of advisers at the National Security Council in favor of a core group of loyalists.
    Chris Megerian, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
  • In the weeks that followed, the secretary also removed every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory committee, replacing them with a merry band of loyalists and skeptics.
    Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Juan, his family, and supporters remain steadfast in their confidence in his innocence and his characters as a hardworking, law-abiding member of society.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
  • At an event held at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami, representatives from several universities and civic institutions praised Machado’s courage, nonviolent leadership and steadfast commitment to restoring democracy in her homeland.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The same is true of modern warfare.
    Big Think, Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Mathis has been a terror for opposing quarterbacks alongside teammate and fellow true freshman Sidney Stewart.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The pair married in May 2013 Righton and Knightley tied the knot in Mazan, a small commune in the Provence region of France.
    Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement During captivity Sharabi ached for his life in Be’eri—which as a kibbutz, or commune, is the original expression of the interdependence on which Israel functions.
    Eli Sharabi, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Chapter narrators alternate between a homing pigeon and a soldier whose futures intersect in the most terrible of war offensives in France.
    The Know, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
  • After the speeches came Ukrainian songs, poems, tributes to soldiers, and, of course, the national anthem.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Faithful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/faithful. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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