fealty

[ fee-uhl-tee ]

/ ˈfi əl ti /

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noun, plural fe·al·ties.

History/Historical.

fidelity to a lord.
the obligation or the engagement to be faithful to a lord, usually sworn to by a vassal.

fidelity; faithfulness.

Nearby words

Origin of fealty

1275–1325; Middle English feute, feaute, fealtye < Anglo-French, Old French feauté, fealté < Latin fidēlitāt- (stem of fidēlitās) fidelity; internal -au-, -al- from feal, reshaping (by substitution of -al- -al¹) of fe(d)eil < Latin fidēlis

SYNONYMS FOR fealty

2 loyalty, devotion.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fealty ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsnon·fe·al·ty, noun, plural non·fe·al·ties.un·fe·al·ty, noun, plural un·fe·al·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fealty

“It is our Islamic obligation to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State and give it our Islamic fealty,” he said.
ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits|Sami Yousafzai, Christopher Dickey|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They called the Republican bosses and their supporters Stalwarts because of their fealty to tradition.
The GOP’s Last Identity Crisis Remade U.S. Politics|Michael Wolraich|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Republican fealty to the interests of the investor class has been long-standing.
Dawn of the Age of Oligarchy: the Alliance between Government and the 1%|Joel Kotkin|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They're not about amassing medals, so much as engendering goodwill; less cut-throat competition, more track and fealty.
Kiss the…Queen’s Baton? The British Empire Is Alive and Well|Debra A. Klein|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It was forged by the heat of dragons' breath when 1,000 bent their swords in fealty to Aegon the Conqueror.
Game of Thrones for Dummies|Jace Lacob|April 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The five men pressed the scarfs to their lips in token of fealty.
Robin Hood|J. Walker McSpadden
Right sweetly the knight thanked her for her grace, and pledged her faith and fealty.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France|Marie de France
Hence the oath of fealty was a personal obligation, and investiture was needful before the new feudee took possession.
Landholding In England|Joseph Fisher
Nay, had she not called me her knight and accepted my fealty?
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards
The formidable appearance of the forces he commanded induced the nobles and bishops to do fealty to him.
The Days of Chivalry|Ernest Louis Victor Jules L'Epine

British Dictionary definitions for fealty

fealty

/ (ˈfiːəltɪ) /

noun plural -ties

(in feudal society) the loyalty sworn to one's lord on becoming his vassalSee homage (def. 2)

Word Origin for fealty

C14: from Old French fealte, from Latin fidēlitās fidelity

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

Word Origin and History for fealty

fealty

c.1300, from Old French feauté "loyalty, fidelity; homage sworn by a vassal to his overlord; faithfulness," from Latin fidelitatem (nominative fidelitas) "fidelity," from fidelis "loyal, faithful" (see fidelity).