Meaning & use

infidelity

noun·Academic

Unfaithfulness to a spouse or romantic partner, typically through a secret sexual or emotional relationship with someone else.

See it in a sentence

Years after discovering his infidelity, she still found it hard to trust anyone fully.

The novel explores how infidelity slowly unravels an otherwise happy marriage.

A note on using this word

Infidelity can refer to emotional betrayal as well as physical cheating, distinguishing it from "adultery," which implies a sexual act.

Words with a similar meaning

unfaithfulnessadulterycheating

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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