high-fidelity
|high-fi-del-i-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌhaɪfɪˈdɛləti/
🇬🇧
/ˌhaɪfɪˈdɛlɪti/
accurate reproduction
Etymology
'high-fidelity' is a compound of two elements: 'high' and 'fidelity'. 'High' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'heah', where 'heah' meant 'high' or 'tall'. 'Fidelity' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'fidelitas', where 'fidēlis' meant 'faithful'.
'fidelity' changed from Latin 'fidelitas' to Old French 'fidelité' and then entered Middle English as 'fidelity'. 'High' developed from Old English 'heah' through Middle English 'high' and combined with 'fidelity' in modern English to form the compound 'high-fidelity'.
Initially, 'fidelity' meant 'faithfulness' or 'loyalty', but over time, especially in technical contexts, it came to be used for 'faithful/accurate reproduction' (of sound or images). In the compound 'high-fidelity' the emphasis shifted to 'very accurate reproduction'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of reproducing sound or images accurately; also used to refer to equipment or recordings that have such quality.
Audiophiles often prefer high-fidelity over heavily compressed formats.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
producing or reproducing sound or images very accurately; of equipment or recordings that reproduce the original with high accuracy.
She bought a high-fidelity stereo system.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/15 00:56