Synonyms

allegiance

American

[uh-lee-juhns] / əˈli dʒəns /

noun

the loyalty of a citizen to their government or of a subject to their sovereign.

Antonyms:

treason
loyalty or devotion to some person, group, cause, or the like.

Antonyms:

treachery

allegiance British

/ əˈliːdʒəns /

noun

loyalty, as of a subject to his sovereign or of a citizen to his country
(in feudal society) the obligations of a vassal to his liege lord See also fealty homage

"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

Usage

What does allegiance mean? Allegiance is loyalty or faithfulness, especially to a person or cause.Allegiance usually refers to a loyalty that is considered extremely important, such as to a country or leader.If you went to school in the United States, you’re familiar with the Pledge of Allegiance, which is an oath of loyalty to the country recited by schoolchildren and at patriotic ceremonies. This type of formal loyalty is what’s implied by allegiance.The adjective form of allegiance is allegiant.Example: Her supporters’ allegiance never lessened, even in the aftermath of the scandal.

Related Words

See loyalty.

Other Word Forms

nonallegiance noun
overallegiance noun

Etymology

Origin of allegiance

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English aliegiaunce, equivalent to a- probably a- ⁵ + liege liege + -aunce -ance; compare Middle French ligeance

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.

Fellow sprinter and bobsleigher Mica Moore is also part of Jamaica's squad in Milan-Cortina, having previously switched allegiance from Great Britain.

From BBC

International Ice Hockey Federation regulations also require players who acquire a new passport to spend at least two consecutive seasons and 16 consecutive months playing in a country’s domestic league before they can switch allegiances.

From The Wall Street Journal

The US-born skier, who switched allegiance to China, where her mother is from, in 2019, said she had "let go of the suffering" and arrived in Italy "feeling light and ready and excited".

From Barron's

Thousands turned out on Friday for the burial of the slain son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a town that still holds allegiance to the late longtime leader.

From Barron's

A record number of Americans pledge allegiance to neither of the two major political parties.

From Salon

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