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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

Etymology

Origin of loyalist

First recorded in 1640–50; loyal + -ist

Compare meaning

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

• patriot vs. loyalist

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

East Belfast, parts of which are loyalist, was one of the hotspots of violence.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

He issued a no-bid contract to a company that botched the renovation, according to staunch Trump loyalist Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

Osvaldo De La Garza, who lives in the Tampa, Fla., area, is a loyalist of Coronita, a smaller version of the Mexican lager Corona.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

A month earlier, prosecutors filed charges against another Duterte loyalist, Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, over his alleged involvement in a massive corruption scandal over bogus flood control projects.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

To be a Swann loyalist, as Lawrence was, meant being prepared to pack one’s academic bags on short notice.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

David Campbell, chair of the Loyalist Communities Council former UUP chair, also provided Lloyd-Lavery a reference.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

David Campbell, one of the founders of the Loyalist Communities Council and a former Ulster Unionist Party chair provided a reference to the court.

From BBC ● May 7, 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

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

Recruitment poster urges pro-British colonists to join a Loyalist regiment.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

Despite the chaos, some die-hard loyalists remain optimistic.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Aquatics Center loyalists, however, wonder how they will cope with the loss of their pools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

In his third term, Xi has delegated some responsibilities to a small group of loyalists who are in their late 60s and early 70s—considered too old to be viable successors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Comps will moderate but are likely to remain healthier than before, as Ross continues to acquire new customers, particularly younger shoppers who can become long-term loyalists.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

“I assume that by loyalists, they mean Tutsis?”

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Related Words

• follower