loyal

[loi-uhl]

adjective

1. faithful to one's sovereign, government, or state.

   a loyal subject.

   Synonyms: patriotic
   Antonyms: treacherous, faithless, disloyal, treasonous, traitorous

2. faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations.

   to be loyal to a vow.

   Synonyms: true, steadfast, staunch, devoted, constant

3. faithful to any leader, party, or cause, or to any person or thing conceived as deserving fidelity.

   a loyal friend.

4. characterized by or showing faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, obligations, etc..

   loyal conduct.

loyal

/ ˈlɔɪəl /

adjective

1. having or showing continuing allegiance

2. faithful to one's country, government, etc

3. of or expressing loyalty

Other Word Forms

• loyally adverb
• loyalness noun
• nonloyal adjective
• nonloyally adverb
• overloyal adjective
• overloyally adverb
• quasi-loyal adjective
• quasi-loyally adverb
• superloyal adjective
• superloyally adverb
• unloyal adjective
• unloyally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of loyal¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, Old French loial, lei(a)l, from Latin lēgālis legal

Word History and Origins

Origin of loyal¹

C16: from Old French loial, leial, from Latin lēgālis _legal

Synonym Study

See faithful.

Related Words

• ardent 
• devoted 
• dutiful 
• patriotic 
• staunch 
• steadfast 
• true 
• trustworthy