adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

fidēlis¹

fidēlis (neuter fidēle, comparative fidēlior, superlative fidēlissimus, adverb fidēliter)

Classical[fɪˈdeː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[fiˈdɛː.lis]

№ 979 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

two terminationfaithful, loyal
semper fidelisalways faithful
MȲSĪS: Ita pol quidem rēs est, ut dīxtī, Lesbia! / Fidēlem haud fermē mulierī inveniās virum.MYSIS: By Pollux, the situation is just as you’ve said, Lesbia! Hardly ever will you find a man who’s faithful to a woman.166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 459–460
two terminationtrue, trustworthy, dependable
two terminationbelieving, trusting

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

fidem servāns; servus fidēlis, canis fidēlis.

fidēlis -e — in Mille Verba, Castra in Aegyptō

cui cōnfīdere potes

fidēlis -e — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 5

plēnus fideī

faithful

fidēlis -e — in De Bello Gallico I, ch. 12

Declension

singular
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fidēlis	fidēlis	fidēle
genitive	fidēlis	fidēlis	fidēlis
dative	fidēlī	fidēlī	fidēlī
accusative	fidēlem	fidēlem	fidēle
ablative	fidēlī	fidēlī	fidēlī
vocative	fidēlis	fidēlis	fidēle

plural
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	fidēlēs	fidēlēs	fidēlia
genitive	fidēlium	fidēlium	fidēlium
dative	fidēlibus	fidēlibus	fidēlibus
accusative	fidēlīs fidēlēs	fidēlīs fidēlēs	fidēlia
ablative	fidēlibus	fidēlibus	fidēlibus
vocative	fidēlēs	fidēlēs	fidēlia

Lewis & Short A Latin Dictionary, 1879

fĭdēlis, e, adj. 1. fides,

I. that may be trusted or relied upon, trusty, faithful, sincere, true (class.; syn. fidus).

I. Prop.

A. Adj., constr. absol., with dat., or with in and acc.

(a). Absol.: cum et civis mihi bonus et firmus amicus ac fidelis videretur, Cic. Cael. 6, 14: doctus, fidelis, Suavis homo, etc., Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 249 ed. Vahl.): boni fidelesque socii, Liv. 22, 37, 4; 9, 2, 5; 29, 7, 2; 22, 37, 4 Drak. N. cr.; cf.: sociis multo fidelioribus utimur, Cic. Att. 5, 18, 2: est urbs Massilia fortissimorum fidelissimorumque sociorum, id. Font. 1, 3: fidelissima conjux, id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3: medicus multum celer atque fidelis, Hor. S. 2, 3, 147: minister, id. C. 4, 4, 3: seu visa est catulis cerva fidelibus, id. ib. 1, 1, 27: multorum opes praepotentium excludunt amicitias fideles, Cic. Lael. 15, 54: consilium, id. Agr. 2, 2 fin.; cf. id. Clu. 31, 85: opera, id. Caecin. 5, 14; cf.: operā Commii fideli atque utili, Caes. B. G. 7, 76, 1: cura, Ov. H. 1, 104: silentium, Hor. C. 3, 2, 25: desideria (patriae), id. ib. 4, 5, 15: lacrimae, i. e. true, genuine, Ov. H. 14, 127.—

(b). With dat.: qui (Cn. Pompeius) unum Deiotarum fidelem populo Romano judicavit, Cic. Phil. 11, 13, 34: cave tu illi fidelis potius fueris quam mihi, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11: illi fuisti quam mihi fidelior, id. Capt. 3, 5, 58: habere aliquem fidelem sibi, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 87: quem sibi fidelem arbitrabatur, Caes. B. G. 4, 21, 7; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 1; Quint. 11, 2, 42.—

(g). With in and acc.: quam fideli animo et benigno in illam fui, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 22; cf. Cic. Mil. 10, 29: in amicos, Sall. C. 9, 2 (others read: in amicis, v. Kritz. ad h. 1.).—

b. Subst.: fĭdēlis, is, m., a trusty person, a confidant: si quem tuorum fidelium voles, ad me mittas, Cic. Fam. 4, 1, 2.

II. Transf., in gen., of things, to be depended upon, sure, safe, strong, firm, durable (rare but class.): nam et doctrina et domus, et ars et ager etiam fidelis dici potest: ut sit, quomodo Theophrasto placet, verecunda tralatio, Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1: in nave tuta ac fideli, id. Planc. 41, 97: lorica, Verg. A. 9, 707: portus, Ov. Tr. 4, 5, 5: materies terebinthi ad vetustatem, Plin. 13, 6, 12, § 54; structura, Front. Aquaed. 123: rimis explendis fidelior pice, Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158: fidelissimum glutinum, id. 28, 17, 71, § 236.—Hence, adv., in two forms: fĭdē-lĭter (class.) and fĭdēle (ante- and postclass.).

I. Faithfully, trustily, certainly, surely, honestly.

(a). Form fideliter: constanter et fideliter in amicitia alicujus permanere, Liv. 33, 35, 9: vivere simpliciter, fideliter vitaeque hominum amice, Cic. Off. 1, 26, 92: obtestatur per sua antea fideliter acta, etc., Sall. J. 71 fin.: aliquid fideliter curare, Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4: valetudini inservire, Tiro ap. Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1: colere amicos, Plin. Ep. 7, 31, 5: discere artes ingenuas, Ov. P. 2, 9, 47: retinent commissa (aures), Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 70; cf.: ejus (memoriae) duplex virtus, facile percipere et fideliter continere, Quint. 1, 3, 1: exstincta parum fideliter incendia, Flor. 3, 5 med.—

(b). Form fidele: fac fidele sis fidelis, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 79: militare, Prud. στεγ. 10, 428. —

b. Comp.: quo propior quisque est servitque fidelius aegro, Ov. M. 7, 563; Plin. Ep. 6, 24, 3.—

c. Sup.: ut is optime te laudasse videatur, qui narraverit fidelissime, Plin. Pan. 56, 2.—

2. (Acc. to II.) Surely, strongly, firmly: per quorum loca fideliter mihi pateret iter, Planc. in Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2: oratoris futuri fundamenta fideliter jacere, Quint. 1, 4, 5: quod fideliter firmum est, a primis statim actionibus arripere optimum est, firmly grounded, id. 6, 4, 14; cf. Gell. 15, 2, 6.—Comp.: qui quartanum passus convaluerit, fidelius constantiusque postea valiturum, Gell. 17, 12, 3: memoriae inhaerere fidelius, Quint. 10, 6, 2; cf. id. 10, 3, 2.—Sup.: fortunae inaurato fidelissime simulacro, very solidly, durably, Plin. 33, 3, 19, § 61.

Origins

From fidēs (“faith, trust”) + -ēlis.

Borrowings

Catalanfidel
Frenchfidèle
Romanianfidelfrom French fidèle
Germanfidel
Romanshfidel

Insular Romance

Sardinianfidele
Sardinianfideli
Sardinianfieli

Italo-Romance

Italianfidele
Italianfedele
Ladinfedelfrom Italian fidele
Sicilianfidelifrom Italian fidele

Southern Gallo-Romance

Occitanfidèlfrom Old Occitan fezel
Occitanfisèlfrom Old Occitan fezel
Old Catalanfeel

Ibero-Romance

Portuguesefielfrom Old Galician-Portuguese fiel
Spanishfielfrom Old Spanish fiel
Galicianfielfrom Old Galician-Portuguese fiel
Asturianfielfrom Old Leonese *fiel
Aragonesefelfrom Old Navarro-Aragonese *feel
Aragonesefielfrom Old Navarro-Aragonese *feel
Aragonesehielfrom Old Navarro-Aragonese *feel
Aragoneseyelfrom Old Navarro-Aragonese *feel

Rhaeto-Romance

Friulianfidêl

Gallo-Italic

Romagnolfidél
Romagnolfedél

Northern Gallo-Romance

Old Frenchfedeil
Old Frenchfeel

noun · masculinethird declension

fidēlis²

fidēlis m (genitive fidēlis)