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.
Synonym Usage
See loyalty.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Explanation
Every second grader knows how to pledge allegiance to the flag, but do you think they realize when they place their right hand over their hearts that they're expressing loyalty to what we call the "Red, White, and Blue"? You can pledge your allegiance to a flag or swear your allegiance to a government or cause. Either way you're expressing your commitment and devotion in the firmest sense of the word. The liege in allegiance comes from the Old French word meaning "lord and master," which is who you would have been swearing your allegiance to if you'd been a servant in France centuries ago.
Vocabulary lists containing allegiance
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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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.
See Examples For:
“Warsh’s pledge of allegiance to the target seems to have convinced the business press he is an inflation hawk,” said Ethan Harris, former chief economist at BofA Securities.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
“There is ‘an expectation that even the Attorney General must be able to draw the line between political allegiance and fidelity to the people, as well as the fair administration of law,’ ” Williams wrote.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
No, these were good old-fashioned pirates, sponsored by the Barbary states: the kingdom of Morocco was independent, while Algiers, Tripoli and Tunis owed a loose allegiance to the Ottoman Empire.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
As the years pass, those questions about identity and allegiance become more painful: What does it mean to be Jewish in America, with antisemitism on the rise?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Within the context of the revolutionary generation, however, giving one’s allegiance to a political party remained illegitimate.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Gutiérrez and Vargas started their international careers representing Team USA at youth level, but FIFA’s one-time switch rule allowed them to change allegiances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Born in France, Wahi switched allegiances to the African nation in March and started in the Ivory Coast's opening 1-0 World Cup Group E victory over Ecuador on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Privately, their officials already talk about diversifying their allegiances, and about the necessity of finding ways to live alongside Iran, its neighbour across the water.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The difference now is that even the haves—the schools and conferences that had no issue dissolving old allegiances acting entirely in their own self interest—agree it’s gotten ridiculous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Initial allegiances shifted as the war went on, but in the end, all six of the Iroquois nations were seen as a threat to the separatists.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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.
