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loyalist

American  
[loi-uh-list] / ˈlɔɪ ə lɪst /

noun

  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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
loyalist 2 British  
/ ˈlɔɪəlɪst /

noun

  1. a patriotic supporter of his sovereign or government

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • loyalism noun

Etymology

Origin of loyalist

First recorded in 1640–50; loyal + -ist

Compare meaning

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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.

Bidding to succeed his former mentor in 1995, Jospin shocked many Socialists by claiming a "right of inventory" over Mitterrand's legacy -- a right to reassess a record that loyalists deemed sacrosanct.

From Barron's

Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, strolled confidently in dark sunglasses and a black coat Friday through a rally of regime loyalists in central Tehran.

From The Wall Street Journal

On 3 March, a government rally marked two months since Maduro's arrest, with crowds donning T‑shirts bearing his face, repeating loyalist slogans.

From BBC

On Friday, Shah's party loyalists danced on the streets of Kathmandu in celebration, even though final results could take days.

From Barron's

The reason for the appointment was that Khamenei was a longtime loyalist and regime insider, even though he lacked the charismatic and religious authority of Khomeini.

From Salon

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.