Definition of fidelitynext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fidelity distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fidelity are allegiance, devotion, fealty, loyalty, and piety. While all these words mean "faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty," fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

Where would allegiance be a reasonable alternative to fidelity?

The words allegiance and fidelity are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

pledging allegiance

When would devotion be a good substitute for fidelity?

While the synonyms devotion and fidelity are close in meaning, devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

When can fealty be used instead of fidelity?

The meanings of fealty and fidelity largely overlap; however, fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

When might loyalty be a better fit than fidelity?

The words loyalty and fidelity can be used in similar contexts, but loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

When could piety be used to replace fidelity?

The synonyms piety and fidelity are sometimes interchangeable, but piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

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 fidelity Lay disciples typically uphold the vow of brahmacharya by maintaining fidelity toward their spouse. — Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 The company relies on high-fidelity training simulators that replicate an infinite number of outcomes, such as system failures and peak-load scenarios, offline. — Miroslav Katsarov, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 The technology has evolved so much in terms of the visual fidelity, filmmaker control, the ability to generate audio, and the length of a film that is possible. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 In Mozart’s original, two Italian soldiers decide to test their lovers’ fidelity by pretending to head off to war. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fidelity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fidelity
Noun
  • Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Sara follows sign and clue, tests loyalties and refuses to look away until the dead are heard and justice is within reach.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Like many of Knight’s fiction projects — notably Peaky Blinders — the film is a working-class underdog story with strong undertones of allegiance and duty.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Though the conventional story told about the YBAs is one of friendship and community, what stands out now is their allegiance to neoliberal individualism.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • More than 70 companies have also signed on to contribute to employees’ children’s accounts, the White House said, following early commitments from firms like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Today, many more American women are choosing Lee Krasner’s lifestyle and her commitments; but to pioneer took a special kind of courage.
    — Barbara Rose, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In that span, the prevailing public narrative about Simmons shifted radically — from a guy zealously dedicated to rehabbing and the game itself to questions about his desire and dedication.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But instead of denouncing the class of managers and industrialists who profited from the paint factories, the doctors blamed the workers for their poor condition, citing their dedication to their jobs as its primary cause.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The new version centers on Dalin, a single mother who designs bridal gowns and whose devotion to her job has opened a gap between her and her 10-year-old daughter Mina.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Like Wilde, Basil possesses an idealistic devotion to beauty and love that proves his undoing.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fidelity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fidelity. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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