Dictionary

faithful en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English feithful, equivalent to faith + -ful.

Meanings

1. Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.
   • My dog is very faithful: he doesn't like to be petted by anybody else.
   • Engels observes in one of his early writings that the Hegelian Left was the natural approach to communism, and that Hegelian communists such as Hess, Ruge, and Herwegh were a proof that the Germans must adopt communism if they were to remain faithful to their philosophical tradition from Kant to Hegel. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 83:
2. Having faith.
   • The application of the old discipline, say the conservatives, would probably produce a smaller but more faithful Church. 2009, Paul Lakeland, Church: Living Communion, page 162:
3. Reliable; worthy of trust.
   • My servant is very faithful.
4. Consistent with reality.
   • I would consider that a very faithful reproduction.
5. Engaging in sexual relations only with one's spouse or long-term sexual partner.
   • She wanted to be free to explore casual affairs, but her man had to be faithful. 1976, The Missouri Breaks:
   • They had been faithful to each other all of their married life.
6. Injective in specific contexts, e.g. of representations in representation or functors in category theory.
7. (qualifier:ring theory) Of a module, whose annihilator is zero.

Forms

Deriveds

faithfulness · nonfaithful · faithful as a dog · overfaithful · site-faithful · unfaithful · faithfully · faithful functor · fully faithful

Relateds

stand by · true · go to the wall for someone

Translations (212)

sk verný (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · nds-de tro (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ca lleial (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · uk ві́дданий (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bg вярващ (having faith) · de getreu (consistent with reality) · nb trofast (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · la fidēlis (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sh vjeran (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de zuverlässig (reliable; worthy of trust) · pt fiel (reliable; worthy of trust) · da nøjagtig (consistent with reality) · ug سادىق (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de werktreu (consistent with reality) · he נֶאֱמָן (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt crente (having faith) · tr gerçekçi (consistent with reality) · ko 충실하다 (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de ergeben (reliable; worthy of trust) · az sadiq (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt leal (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sl zvest (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de treu (reliable; worthy of trust) · de treu ergeben (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · hu hű (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ro fidel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · cs věrný (consistent with reality) · nb etterrettelig (reliable; worthy of trust) · la fidus (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · lo ຊື່ຕົງ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · hy հավատարիմ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · la fidēlis (reliable; worthy of trust) · tr vefakar (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ky динге ишенген (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · mn үнэнч (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de gläubig (having faith) · ar وَفِيّ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de getreu (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ar مُخْلِص (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de vertrauensvoll (reliable; worthy of trust) · th ซื่อสัตย์ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · gd dìleas (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru ве́рный (consistent with reality) · la fidelis (having faith) · bg пре́дан (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de sinngetreu (consistent with reality) · tr sadakatli (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ky так (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · gl crente (having faith) · es fiel (having faith) · et truu (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fi uskollinen (consistent with reality) · fi uskollinen (having faith) · pt verossímil (consistent with reality) · gl fiel (having faith) · uz vafodor (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bg надежден (reliable; worthy of trust) · de treu (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · mi pirihonga (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · grc πιστός (reliable; worthy of trust) · mi piripono (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sh вјеран (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fr fidèle (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · la fidus (having faith) · th ซื่อ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · da trofast (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · io fidela (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · cy fyddlon (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · mk верен (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ky чынчыл (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bg верен (reliable; worthy of trust) · id setia (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de zuverlässig (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · kmr dilsoz (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · nl trouw (reliable; worthy of trust) · ka ერთგული (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · th ซื่อตรง (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · kmr wefadar (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · it fedele (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de genau (consistent with reality) · fi uskollinen (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · yi טרײַ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · no troende (having faith) · sh веран (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ky ишенчиликтүү (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · es fiel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · az sədaqətli (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bn অনুগত (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ca fidel (reliable; worthy of trust) · de loyal (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · yi געטרײַ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru ве́рующий (having faith) · ltg teirserdeigs (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sc fieli (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bn বিশ্বস্ত (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · lt ištikimas (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt fiel (having faith) · pdt tru (reliable; worthy of trust) · ur وفادار (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ang trīewe (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ps وفادار (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt fiel (consistent with reality) · tr vefalı (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ug ۋاپادار (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fur fidêl (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de glaubwürdig (consistent with reality) · ru ве́рный (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · vi chung thủy (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · rgn fidél (having faith) · da pålidelig (reliable; worthy of trust) · kk адал (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · is tryggur (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de wahrheitsgetreu (consistent with reality) · sc fideli (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ms setia (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · gl leal (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · la firmus (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · hi निष्ठावान (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fi luotettava (reliable; worthy of trust) · eo fidela (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · grc πιστός (having faith) · hi वफ़ादार (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de gewissenhaft (consistent with reality) · sh veran (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bg правдив (consistent with reality) · pl wierny (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · nb trofast (reliable; worthy of trust) · pl wierny (having faith) · ca fidel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru заслу́живающий дове́рия (reliable; worthy of trust) · fr loyal (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · te నమ్మకమైన (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fr fidèle (having faith) · grc πιστός (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sq besnik (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ba тоғро (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru пре́данный (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de übereinstimmend (consistent with reality) · ca fidel (consistent with reality) · ro loial (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt leal (reliable; worthy of trust) · la fidus (reliable; worthy of trust) · no tro (consistent with reality) · be ве́рны (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · th จงรัก (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de detailgetreu (consistent with reality) · scn fideli (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · hu hűséges (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sv trogen (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de orginalgetreu (consistent with reality) · de klangtreu (consistent with reality) · sa निष्ठावान् (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de treu (having faith) · izh vernoi (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · tr vefakâr (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · lv godprātīgs (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · gl fiel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sc fidele (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · tr güvenilir (reliable; worthy of trust) · ang ġetrīewe (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ky ишенимдүү (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ar أَمِين (reliable; worthy of trust) · fa وفادار (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · nn trufast (reliable; worthy of trust) · gl fiel (reliable; worthy of trust) · rgn fedél (having faith) · uz sodiq (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · uk ві́рний (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de glaubenstreu (having faith) · tr inançlı (having faith) · tr sadık (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · it ligio (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · tr sadık (consistent with reality) · km ចិត្តត្រង់ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · it affidabile (reliable; worthy of trust) · nn trufast (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · lv uzticīgs (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · el πιστός (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ca fidel (having faith) · cs věrný (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · got 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐍃 (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · tk wepaly (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt confiável (reliable; worthy of trust) · et ustav (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru надёжный (reliable; worthy of trust) · uk ві́руючий (having faith) · no troverdig (reliable; worthy of trust) · my သစ္စာရှိ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · mn ᠦᠨᠡᠨᠴᠢ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · it fedele (having faith) · cmn 忠實 /忠实 (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · ru то́чный (consistent with reality) · nl getrouw (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · de vertrauenswürdig (reliable; worthy of trust) · da tro (consistent with reality) · bg ве́рен (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sa भक्त (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · tg вафодор (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · fr fidèle (reliable; worthy of trust) · lo ຊື່ (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · sw -aminifu (reliable; worthy of trust) · ja 忠実な (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · is trúr (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · bg достоверен (consistent with reality) · de naturgetreu (consistent with reality) · de anhänglich (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · az vəfalı (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · gl leal (reliable; worthy of trust) · rgn fidél (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · lld fedel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · pt fiel (loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause) · nl trouw (having faith)

faithful en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English feithful, equivalent to faith + -ful.

Meanings

1. (noun, plural) The practicing members of a religion or followers of a cause.
   • The faithful pray five times a day.
   • The annual meeting was attended by the long-term party faithful.
   • We Fremen have a saying: God created Arrakis to train the faithful. One cannot go against the word of God. 1984, 2:11:25 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), spoken by Paul Atreides, →OCLC:
   • In attacking a vital broadcaster, the US president is once again holding others to standards he flouts. But the Maga faithful might not let his links to the disgraced financier go[.] 2025 November 14, Jonathan Freedland, “Trump can get away with saying what he likes about the BBC. But Epstein? That’s his one vulnerability”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2. Someone or something that is faithful or reliable.
   • Earlier this year, as the recession put a damper on ticket sales, Maxwell said the easy route would have been to go for the tried-and-true old faithfuls. 2009 September 30, Bruce DeMara, “Shaw's comedy gets teeth”, in Toronto Star:

Forms