loyalty

American

[loi-uhl-tee] / ˈlɔɪ əl ti /

noun

plural

loyalties

the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations.
faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc.

Synonyms:

constancy, devotion, fealty
an example or instance of faithfulness, adherence, or the like.

a man with fierce loyalties.

loyalty British

/ ˈlɔɪəltɪ /

noun

the state or quality of being loyal
(often plural) a feeling of allegiance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Loyalty, allegiance, fidelity all imply a sense of duty or of devoted attachment to something or someone. Loyalty connotes sentiment and the feeling of devotion that one holds for one's country, creed, family, friends, etc. Allegiance applies particularly to a citizen's duty to their country, or, by extension, one's obligation to support a party, cause, leader, etc. Fidelity implies unwavering devotion and allegiance to a person, principle, etc

Other Word Forms

nonloyalty noun
overloyalty noun
unloyalty noun

Etymology

Origin of loyalty

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English loialte, from Middle French. See loyal, -ty ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Text messages recovered from her phone showed Sanomi pledging his "loyalty and commitment", and agreeing to collect Louis Vuitton hat boxes, replying: "Yes Your Excellency consider this done".

From BBC

The turnover has led to rapid elevations for some commanders who are less experienced and are likely to be preoccupied with stabilizing morale and enforcing loyalty across the rank and file.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maharashtra's political landscape is notoriously complex - a web of shifting alliances, regional loyalties and rivalries.

From BBC

But the company’s footprint is expanding rapidly, and its awareness and loyalty among consumers are growing even faster, fueled by social-media-friendly product drops, giveaways, and an active cadence of innovation.

From Barron's

However, its premium and loyalty services did better than most had anticipated.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023