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• loyalist
  loyalist

  noun

  a person who is loyal; a supporter of the sovereign or of the existing government, especially in time of revolt.
• Loyalist
  Loyalist

  noun

  (in Northern Ireland) any of the Protestants wishing to retain Ulster's link with Britain

loyalist

American  

[loi-uh-list] / ˈlɔɪ ə lɪst /

noun

• loyalists
  plural

1. a person who is loyal; a supporter of the sovereign or of the existing government, especially in time of revolt.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a person who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution; Tory.

3. (initial capital letter) an adherent of the republic during the Spanish Civil War, opposed to Franco.

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Loyalist ¹ British  

/ ˈlɔɪəlɪst /

noun

1. (in Northern Ireland) any of the Protestants wishing to retain Ulster's link with Britain

2. (in North America) an American colonist who supported Britain during the War of American Independence

3. (in Canada) short for United Empire Loyalist

4. (during the Spanish Civil War) a supporter of the republican government

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loyalist ² British  

/ ˈlɔɪəlɪst /

noun

1. a patriotic supporter of his sovereign or government

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• loyalism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• loyalists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of loyalist

First recorded in 1640–50; loyal + -ist

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Compare meaning

How does loyalist compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• patriot vs. loyalist

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Explanation

In politics, a loyalist is someone who stays faithful to a party or government even during times of upheaval and revolt. During America's colonial era, loyalists supported British rule. Today in the U.K., someone who's described as a loyalist is typically a supporter of political union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This term is often used during times of upheaval in various countries, to talk about those who remain loyal to an established government. It's been used this way since at least the 17th century — but if your favorite childhood movie gets a terrible remake, feel free to say you're a loyalist to the original version.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

loyalist Loyalist loyalists

“I am not afraid of you,” she said she told Jorge Rodríguez, a longtime loyalist of former leader Nicolás Maduro who heads Venezuela’s legislature and brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

“I have been a loyalist ever since,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

It happened in north Belfast when loyalist protesters tried to block the route taken by Holy Cross school pupils and their parents, who were from a Catholic background, on their walk to class.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

After the elections, Min Aung Hlaing -- who led the coup as armed forces chief -- took over as civilian president, handing the office of military leader to staunch loyalist Ye Win Oo.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

By April, the ANC and General Bantu Holomisa, the military leader of the Transkei and an ANC loyalist, had arranged for a visit.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who was involved in bringing the case, said the applicant has secured a "seismic victory".

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

She was a Loyalist, and her American husband-to-be was an officer in the British army, so she may have assumed that her political sympathies would protect her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025

Prior to his arrest he was described as an "interlocutor" working with the Loyalist Communities Council on transforming the UVF into a peaceful organisation.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2025

Carter had been co-chair of the Loyalist Democrats, a racially diverse group that won a credentials fight at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, unseating the all-white delegation by Mississippi’s governor, John Bell Williams.

From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2023

John clipped to a Loyalist and forced to march.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

For 20 years, he served as one of only a handful of pro-democracy lawmakers in the legislature, largely made up of pro-Beijing loyalists.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

We were Seattle Seahawks fans, and we could usually find a few other loyalists in blue and green to cheer with us.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Musk fans and Delta loyalists piled in, generating strings of comments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

A parallel panic is also engulfing the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his loyalists are scrambling to contain a massive internal leak.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

“There were a lot of people who didn’t think we had much of a chance to win District, let alone a state championship,” Hix told all those loyalists in the stands.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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