fealty
Americannoun
plural
fealties-
History/Historical.
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fidelity to a lord.
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the obligation or the engagement to be faithful to a lord, usually sworn to by a vassal.
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noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fealty
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English feute, feaute, fealtye, from Anglo-French, Old French feauté, fealté, from Latin fidēlitāt- (stem of fidēlitās ) fidelity; internal -au-, -al- from feal, reshaping (by substitution of -al- -al 1 ) of fe(d)eil, from Latin fidēlis
Explanation
The noun fealty is another way of saying "loyalty" or "faithfulness." Your sister will allow you to join the secret club meetings in her treehouse only if you first promise fealty to the other members. Some school kids pledge their fealty, or allegiance, to the United States of America every morning in homeroom. But if you think fealty sounds like a word King Arthur would use, you're right: It's really an outdated term that primarily describes a vassal's sworn allegiance to a feudal lord. Fealty, like the word fidelity derives from the Latin root "fidelitas."
Vocabulary lists containing fealty
Freak the Mighty
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 8
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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.
Fealty in medieval Europe was an oath of fidelity in which the vassal pledged not to harm his lord or damage to his property.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2023
Fealty to these lords is not universally passionate.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2019
Fealty to principle sometimes requires setting aside one’s own preferences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2018
Fealty is purchased; so are ships and slaves and allies.
From Time • Apr. 15, 2013
Fealty is the Norman-French form of the word fidelity.
From A Brief History of the English Language and Literature, Vol. 2 by Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow
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.
