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Prepositions after adjectives

faithful to, in, of, with, or for

Faithful is most commonly followed by to when talking about loyalty, accuracy, or commitment.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with faithful?

Use faithful to for loyalty, commitment, or accurate representation. Other prepositions such as in, with, and for usually belong to separate sentence structures rather than fixed combinations.

She remained faithful to her partner.
The film is faithful to the original novel.
He stayed faithful to his principles.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
faithful to + person/principle

Showing loyalty or commitment

This is the main standard pattern.

The dog was faithful to its owner.
They stayed faithful to their values.
2
faithful to + source/original

Describing accuracy

Use faithful to when something closely follows the original version.

The translation is faithful to the text.
3
faithful in + activity

Describing reliability in actions

Faithful in appears in formal or literary English to describe consistent behaviour in a task.

She was faithful in carrying out her duties.
4
faithful with + possessions/responsibility

Using with in a separate phrase

With may describe the area in which someone behaves responsibly, but it is not the main complement after faithful.

He was careful and faithful with company records.
5
faithful for + period/purpose

Using for with time or purpose

For usually introduces duration or purpose rather than completing the adjective.

The old machine remained faithful for many years.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
faithful to
She is faithful to her friends.
loyal or committed
faithful in
He was faithful in his work.
consistent or reliable in an activity
faithful of
This combination is not standard in current English.
generally avoided
faithful with
She was faithful with the archive materials.
with introduces the area of responsibility
faithful for
The device served faithfully for decades.
for introduces duration

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of after faithful

Faithful of is not a standard modern combination.

✕ She is faithful of her beliefs. ✓ She is faithful to her beliefs.

Replacing to with with for loyalty

Use faithful to for loyalty or commitment.

✕ He remained faithful with his wife. ✓ He remained faithful to his wife.

Using in for a person

Faithful in refers to actions, not loyalty to a person.

✕ She was faithful in her partner. ✓ She was faithful to her partner.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The adaptation is faithful ___ the original story.
2. He was faithful ___ performing his duties.
3. She remained faithful ___ her friends.

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Frequently asked questions

What does faithful to mean?

It means loyal, committed, or accurate in following something.

Is faithful of correct?

No. Faithful of is not standard in current English.

Can faithful in be used today?

Yes, especially in formal or literary contexts about reliability in actions or duties.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as? "fashionable in" or "fashionable for"?

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