disloyal
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disloyal
1470–80; < Middle French desloial, Old French desleal, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + leal loyal
Explanation
If you're disloyal, you're not faithful or trustworthy — you can't be depended on by those who put their trust in you. It would be disloyal to join in with a group of people gossiping about your best friend. It's disloyal when a country violates a signed treaty, and it's disloyal for a citizen to spy for a foreign state against its own government. But it's also disloyal to betray the trust of someone in your life. A disloyal sibling tattles on his brothers and sisters, and a disloyal friend won't keep your secrets. This adjective comes from the Old French desloial, "treacherous or deceitful," which adds the prefix des-, "the opposite of," to loial, "faithful."
Vocabulary lists containing disloyal
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.
That begs the question of why they were performed, other than raw intimidation, deterring would-be whistleblowers, and punishing the disloyal.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
And never do it in front of people outside the friend group, which is as indecorous and disloyal as family members airing their dirty laundry in public.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
But we find that these generations are particularly brand disloyal.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
In turn, anyone who sides with their cause will be labeled a criminal enabler, a disloyal pariah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
It did not seem quite right to think of Sidhean and Kaisa at the same time — there was something disloyal about it.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
