FAITHFUL

close, faithful

(adjective) marked by fidelity to an original; “a close translation”; “a faithful copy of the portrait”; “a faithful rendering of the observed facts”

faithful

(adjective) steadfast in affection or allegiance; “years of faithful service”; “faithful employees”; “we do not doubt that England has a faithful patriot in the Lord Chancellor”

faithful

(adjective) not having sexual relations with anyone except your husband or wife, or your boyfriend or girlfriend; “he remained faithful to his wife”

congregation, fold, faithful

(noun) a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

faithful

(noun) any loyal and steadfast following

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

faithful (comparative more faithful, superlative most faithful)

Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.

Having faith.

Reliable; worthy of trust.

Consistent with reality.

Engaging in sexual relations only with one's spouse or long-term sexual partner.

(mathematics) Injective in specific contexts, e.g. of representations in representation or functors in category theory.

Noun

faithful (plural faithfuls)

(in the plural) The practicing members of a religion or followers of a cause.

Someone or something that is faithful or reliable.

Source: Wiktionary

Faith"ful, a.

1. Full of faith, or having faith; disposed to believe, especially in the declarations and promises of God. You are not faithful, sir. B. Jonson.

2. Firm in adherence to promises, oaths, contracts, treaties, or other engagements. The faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him. Deut. vii. 9.

3. True and constant in affection or allegiance to a person to whom one is bound by a vow, be ties of love, gratitude, or honor, as to a husband, a prince, a friend; firm in the observance of duty; loyal; of true fidelity; as, a faithful husband or servant. So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found, Among the faithless, faithful only he. Milton.

4. Worthy of confidence and belief; conformable to truth ot fact; exact; accurate; as, a faithful narrative or representation. It is a faithful saying. 2 Tim. ii. 11. The Faithful, the adherents of any system of religious belief; esp. used as an epithet of the followers of Mohammed.

Syn.

– Trusty; honest; upright; sincere; veracious; trustworthy.

– Faith"ful*ly, adv. -Faith"ful*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition