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fidelity

fih-DEH-lih-tee /fɪˈdɛlɪti/

nounC1GRESAT

technicalprofessional

The degree of exactness, accuracy, and detail with which a prototype or simulation represents the final, real-world product.

Fidelity is categorized as 'low' (e.g., a cardboard mockup) or 'high' (e.g., a fully functional, painted pre-production model).

The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'fidelitas' (faithfulness, loyalty), from 'fidelis' (faithful), which comes from 'fides' (faith). Historically used to describe loyalty to a king or spouse. In the 20th century, it was applied to audio equipment ('high-fidelity' or 'hi-fi' sound) and later to describe the realism of digital models and prototypes.

Word relationships

accuracy: Accuracy refers to being correct and free from error, while fidelity refers to the overall level of detail and realism compared to the original.
precision: Precision refers to the repeatability of a measurement, whereas fidelity encompasses the completeness and realism of a model.

crudeness: The quality of being simple, rough, or lacking detail and refinement.

Commonly confused with

resolution: Resolution refers to the density of pixels or data points, while fidelity refers to how closely the model matches the real-world object's behavior and appearance.

Word family

faithful (adjective): Remaining loyal, or representing something accurately and in detail.
faithfully (adverb): In a way that is true to the original or accurate.

Collocations

high-fidelity
low-fidelity
fidelity level
simulation fidelity

Example sentences

"A low-fidelity prototype might be made of cardboard, while a high-fidelity one looks and works exactly like the real product." A product management meeting discussing user testing.

Memory hook

Think of 'fidelity' as 'faithfulness'. A high-fidelity model is highly 'faithful' to the final, real-world product. Fidelity is faithfulness to the final product.

When not to use

Do not use to describe marital faithfulness or loyalty on a product design page; keep it focused on technical accuracy and detail.

Fun facts

In virtual reality training, 'physical fidelity' refers to how real the environment looks, while 'functional fidelity' refers to how realistically the virtual controls respond to the user's actions.