faithfulness

[ feyth-fuhl-nis ]

noun

1. lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships, especially marriage and friendship:

   A wedding ring is a symbol of unending love and faithfulness to each other.

   I remember the faithfulness of so many friends and family who sent me emails, visited me, and stood with me during my ordeal.

2. the fact or quality of being true to one’s word or commitments, as to what one has pledged to do, professes to believe, etc.:

   In the Bible, the psalmist David reports God's faithfulness in keeping promises.

3. the fact or quality of being dedicated and steadfast in performing one’s duty, working for a cause, etc.:

   We lawyers have an ethical obligation to represent our clients with diligence, faithfulness, and competence.

4. the quality of adhering to fact, a standard, or an original; accuracy:

   Professional translators often focus on the faithfulness of a translation to the original, with too little attention to the naturalness or comprehensibility of the translated version.

Other Words From

• o·ver·faith·ful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of faithfulness¹

faithful ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

But just as incredibly, he wasn’t called a liar for claiming faithfulness that wasn’t there.

From Salon

Ms. Payton recalls her suggesting that her ensuing struggles were caused by insufficient faithfulness: She wasn’t bowing deeply enough during prayers, wasn’t working hard enough, and was trusting too much in her own instincts.

From New York Times

Christ is reputed to have said: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

From Salon

The retreat’s purpose, the group said in each filing, was “to equip Hill staff and other attendees on how to critically think about, apply, and discuss faithfulness and good character in public service.”

From Salon

"It delivered a consistent improvement in faithfulness, which was confirmed by the medical doctors who checked our work."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• adherence
• allegiance
• fealty
• fidelity