Definition of FIDELITY (original) (raw)
1
a
: the quality or state of being faithful
b
: accuracy in details : exactness
The movie's director insisted on total fidelity to the book.
2
: the degree to which an electronic device (such as a record player, radio, or television) accurately reproduces its effect (such as sound or picture)
Did you know?
Fidelity came to English by way of French in the 15th century, and can ultimately be traced back to the Latin fidēlis, meaning "faithful, loyal, trustworthy." While fidelity was originally exclusively about loyalty, it has for centuries also been used to refer to accuracy, as in “questions about the fidelity of the translation.” Nowadays fidelity is often used in reference to recording and broadcast devices, conveying the idea that a broadcast or recording is "faithful" to the live sound or picture that it reproduces.
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for fidelity
allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.
fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.
loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.
valued the loyalty of his friends
devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.
a painter's devotion to her art
piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.
Examples of fidelity in a Sentence
Yet as Reardon emphasizes early on, fidelity to facts was never the point. The same dinner with friends could appear over and over in Fisher's published work, rejiggered each time to make a different point. —
Laura Shapiro, New York Times Book Review, 12 Dec. 2004 It is a world familiar to all children, and it is this fidelity to child life that gives resonance to Hoffmann's tale and makes it an extraordinary work of art. —Maurice Sendak, Caldecott & Co., 1988 Chaucer's patient Griselda proved her fidelity to her husband by resisting the prodigious reasons he gave her for being unfaithful. —B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, 1971
music with much higher fidelity than on cassettes they have never wavered in their fidelity to the cause of freedom
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The news coincides with major developments in the women’s own lives around romance and fidelity. —Judy Berman, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025 With more fans watching more sports online today, streaming companies continue to push the limits of improving latency, fidelity and reliability. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2025 Pursuing that goal has meant emphasizing seemingly old-fashioned media ideals—neutrality, fidelity, hearing from all sides—in ways that can seem extreme. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025 The military’s professional culture of civilian control and constitutional fidelity, consistently upheld by the courts, provides another safeguard. —Victor Menaldo, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for fidelity 
Word History
Etymology
Middle English fidelite, borrowed from Middle French fidelité, borrowed from Latin fidēlitāt-, fidēlitās, from fidēlis "faithful, loyal, trustworthy" (from fidē-, stem of fidēs "trust, belief, faith" + -lis, denominal suffix of appurtenance) + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at faith entry 1
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of fidelity was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near fidelity
Cite this Entry
“Fidelity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fidelity. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 4 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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