loyalty
Americannoun
-
loyalties
plural
noun
-
the state or quality of being loyal
-
(often plural) a feeling of allegiance
Synonym Usage
Loyalty, allegiance, fidelity all imply a sense of duty or of devoted attachment to something or someone. Loyalty connotes sentiment and the feeling of devotion that one holds for one's country, creed, family, friends, etc. Allegiance applies particularly to a citizen's duty to their country, or, by extension, one's obligation to support a party, cause, leader, etc. Fidelity implies unwavering devotion and allegiance to a person, principle, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of loyalty
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English loialte, from Middle French. See loyal, -ty 2
Explanation
A person who feels loyalty to a nation, cause, or person feels a sense of allegiance, commitment, dedication toward them. Loyalty is — you guessed it! — the quality of being loyal. People demonstrate their loyalty to a sports team by cheering for it, win or lose. People demonstrate their loyalty to a political party by voting only for the people of that party. Brand loyalty is the notion (or hope) that once consumers identify strongly with a particular brand or product, like a car or computer, they'll stick with that brand or maker when it comes time to buy new products.
Vocabulary lists containing loyalty
American Naturalization Test, List 2
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Allegiant
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Medieval Christendom, Lessons 3–5
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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.
See Examples For:
The £2,000 tax-free retention bonus would be paid to workers who "show loyalty" by staying with the business that trained them for at least two years after they complete their apprenticeship, said Braverman.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Having already scanned his items alongside his Nectar loyalty card, he said he had waved an attendant over.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
But the bill names loyalty programs both among the rewards it permits and among those it forbids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Cassidy’s support almost certainly means that Blanche, who faced tough questioning from even some of Cassidy’s fellow Republicans over his loyalty to the president, will be confirmed as the country’s chief law-enforcement officer.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
As long as I’d been alive, I’d never encountered the kind of fortitude and loyalty that I found in those rooms.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
I must point out that Ipswich boss O'Neil is a former Norwich player, so where do his loyalties really lie?
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Pushing back against speculation regarding his political loyalties, Ellison pledged “independence” for his newsrooms and argued that the combined entity would control only a fraction of the streaming market.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
“There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions,” Ellison wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Speaking in fluent French, this man of mixed Les Bleus and Selecao loyalties said the tournament provided a welcome respite amid chronic fuel shortages which have grounded most cars and public buses.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
The local beer loyalties of individual German drinkers are reinforced by German laws that make it hard for foreign beers to compete in the German market.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
