noun
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.
Both parts of the argument are wrong, but the claim about limited allegiance is especially wrong in a way that has not been widely addressed.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
As it happens, however, there is a direct precedent under U.S. law, well known to the drafters of the 14th Amendment, explaining that the demands of allegiance attach even to temporary or unlawful entrants.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
"A person is subject to the United States' 'jurisdiction' only if he owes sufficient allegiance to, and may claim protection from, the United States."
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
The older cases and treatises turned not simply on place of birth, but on protection, allegiance and the sovereign’s acceptance of the parents’ presence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
—I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
