loyalty
Americannoun
noun
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the state or quality of being loyal
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(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:
Doing so keeps the Constitution at the center of our popular democratic culture, renewing our loyalty to the document and our sense of its relevance.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
And at O’Hare International Airport, American Airlines has been fighting tooth and nail not to lose access to gates in its terminal because of the Chicago hub’s potential to fuel its credit-card loyalty program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
In general, your points transfer at a 1-to-1 ratio, meaning for every credit-card point you transfer to an airline or hotel, you get exactly one point in the loyalty program of your choice.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
"Younger people have seen that loyalty doesn't pay off," says Kemp.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“And Jonah believes everything he says. And he’ll do anything he says, especially when Dad dangles the dirt bike carrot. It buys Jonah’s loyalty every time. It’s like he’s Dad’s puppet.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Evaton West may indicate that South Africans are moving beyond loyalties forged in the struggle against apartheid, said local government expert Susan Booysen.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Every significant criminal case eventually becomes a vessel into which the country pours its anxieties, fears, loyalties, and grievances.
From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2026
Its clashes—between young prodigies and seasoned grandmasters, diverging national loyalties and opposing personalities—have inspired fiction, films, a popular Netflix series and a current Broadway musical revival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
As chief minister, he will now face pressure to shift from a firebrand politician to administrator: reassuring investors, delivering jobs and governing a state where political loyalties run fiercely deep.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
I felt many of my established beliefs and loyalties begin to ebb away.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
