disloyalty
Americannoun
-
the quality of being disloyal; lack of loyalty; unfaithfulness.
- Synonyms:
- subversion
-
violation of allegiance or duty, as to a government.
-
a disloyal act.
noun
Synonym Usage
Disloyalty, perfidy, treachery, treason imply betrayal of trust. Disloyalty applies to any violation of loyalty, whether to a person, a cause, or one's country, and whether in thought or in deeds: to suspect disloyalty in a friend. Perfidy implies deliberate breaking of faith or of one's pledges and promises, on which others are relying: It is an act of perfidy to cheat innocent people. Treachery implies being secretly traitorous but seeming friendly and loyal: In treachery deceit is added to disloyalty. Treason is performing overt acts to help the enemies of one's country or government: Acting to aid a hostile power is treason.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of disloyalty
1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French desloiaute, Old French desleaute, equivalent to desleal disloyal + -te -ty 2
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:
Garden eventually went on record to suggest that the lack of repeats was punishment for the trio's "disloyalty", saying in 2020: "It seems they've held that grudge ever since."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Purges aimed at rooting out corruption and disloyalty have pushed many officials to focus on finding ways to please Beijing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Zanu-PF expelled Geza from the party for disloyalty and he was forced into hiding.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
"It's too bad, sort of disloyalty," Trump said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
“I dunno,” I mumble, feeling a cold wave of disloyalty wash over me.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Bill Whitman is a Carverian ex-husband pummeled by remorse for his assorted disloyalties.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2018
Whitman is a Carverian ex-husband pummeled by remorse for his assorted disloyalties.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2018
Despite many internal disorders and disloyalties ... the people of the Soviet Union generally trust and respect the wisdom and integrity of their leaders.
From Time Magazine Archive
Under the Imperial University, and still more under the University of the Third Republic, differences became disloyalties.
From France and the Republic A Record of Things Seen and Learned in the French Provinces During the 'Centennial' Year 1889 by Hurlbert, William Henry
The principal character is a cowardly miller, who ensues nothing but his own safety in the war of loyalties and disloyalties which is destroying Ireland.
From Old and New Masters by Lynd, Robert
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.
