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:
Anyone who graduated from Indiana received his total loyalty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Micron Technology is making the “smart move” to retain customers’ loyalty by not squeezing them too tightly on prices, according to Elon Musk.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Here’s the catch: You have to rack up a certain number of loyalty points by the deadline to keep the status.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Lewis Harrison believes the loyalty card is also good value, but finds it "frustrating how the rewards points only cover a full transaction".
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Amazingly, I know, too, that he believes loyalty to a friend is more important than land.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
By tapping into frustration with the state’s education system, Hinojosa said, she has been able to attract voters in a state where political loyalties run deep.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
The home fans, with split loyalties before the race between Antonelli and Ferrari, screamed with delight as he crossed the line, 60 years since the last time an Italian won his home race.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
“There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions,” Ellison wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
"The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner's CNN. There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions," he wrote.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
About three or four such Hasidic sects populated the area in which Danny and I grew up, each with its own rabbi, its own little synagogue, its own customs, its own fierce loyalties.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
