Faithfulness means unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited, for example, by a husband or wife who does not engage in sexual relationships outside of the marriage.[1] It can also mean keeping one's promises no matter the prevailing circumstances, such as in certain communities of monks who take a vow of silence.[2] Literally, it is the state of being full of faith in the sense of steady devotion to a person, thing, or concept.
Its etymology is distantly related to that of fidelity; indeed, in modern electronic devices, a machine with high "fidelity" is considered "faithful" to its source material.Шаблон:Citation needed Similarly, a spouse who, inside a sexually exclusive relationship, has sexual relations outside of marriage could be considered as being "unfaithful" and as having committed "infidelity".[3]
Religions
Sexual faithfulness within a marriage is a required tenet in Christianity—one of the four pillars of marriage.[4] It is also required in Jewish marriage,[5] and Islam.[6]
