faithless

[ feyth-lis ]

adjective

1. not adhering to allegiance, promises, vows, or duty:

   the faithless behavior of Benedict Arnold.

2. not trustworthy; unreliable.
3. without trust or belief.
4. being without religious faith.
5. (among Christians) bereft of Christian faith.

faithless

/ ˈfeɪθlɪs /

adjective

1. unreliable or treacherous
2. dishonest or disloyal
3. having no faith or trust
4. lacking faith, esp religious faith

Derived Forms

• ˈfaithlessness, noun
• ˈfaithlessly, adverb

Other Words From

• faithless·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of faithless¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, faithless is from the Middle English word faithles. See faith, -less

Example Sentences

The election wasn’t close enough for even the entire slate to matter, but Congress debated the legality of faithless electors and ultimately voted against the challenge.

From Washington Post

They haven’t been a threat to the people’s will, but “faithless electors” exist, and there were seven in 2016—five Democrats and two Republicans voted for someone other than their party’s candidate.

From Popular-Science

The electoral process and “faithless electors”Ah yes, the Electoral College.

From Popular-Science

In 2016, a total of 10 electors cast faithless ballots, with seven—the highest since 1912—actually counting.

From Fortune

A total of 10 electors cast faithless ballots in 2016, with seven—the highest since 1912—actually counting.

From Fortune

Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves: they all love bribes, they run after rewards.

From Project Gutenberg

Faithless little Judy had shown her defection from Aunty Rosa already.

From Project Gutenberg

In any case, after the first hours of bitterness, Tchaikovsky bore no grudge against the faithless lady.

From Project Gutenberg

A faithless woman, if known to be such by the person concerned, is but faithless; if she is believed faithful, she is treacherous.

From Project Gutenberg

He in turn obtained it from Cydalise and transmitted it to the faithless Valerie who died as also did her husband.

From Project Gutenberg