Why Does Perfidious Mean Treacherous?

The modern English meaning of "perfidious" remains faithful to that of its Latin ancestor, "perfidus," which means "faithless." English speakers have used "perfidious" to mean "treacherous" since at least 1572.

What is perfidious person?

adjective. deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lover.

What word means the same as perfidious?

Frequently Asked Questions About perfidious

Some common synonyms of perfidious are disloyal, faithless, false, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance

Cybersecurity & Digital Privacy Researcher

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.