Fidelity

How to spell fidelity

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce fidelity

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does fidelity mean?

1. nounFaithfulness or loyalty to a person, cause, or commitment.
2. nounThe degree to which a copy, recording, or model accurately reproduces an original.

Fidelity in a sentence

• Their marriage vows emphasised lifelong fidelity to each other.

• The new headphones reproduce music with remarkable fidelity.

• The soldiers were honoured for their fidelity to the country.

• The translation preserved the fidelity of the original text.

Where does fidelity come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Fidelity comes from the Latin fidelitas, meaning faithfulness or loyalty, which was built on fidelis 'faithful' and ultimately on fides, the noun for faith, trust, or confidence. The same fides root sits behind a whole family of English words, including confide, fiance, and the motto-like 'Semper Fidelis' (always faithful). English took the word in through Old French fidelite during the fifteenth century, at first to describe loyalty in personal and feudal relationships. From the steady sense of 'staying true', the meaning later widened to cover faithful reproduction or exactness, which is why a recording can be described as having high fidelity. The spelling keeps the single 'd' and the 'fi' opening straight from fides, a useful reminder that the word is about being true rather than being fiddly.

How the word is built

• fidel- (from Latin fides: faith, trust)
• -ity (noun-forming suffix denoting a state or quality)