loyal

loyal — adjective

1. describes someone who continues to stand by a person, group, country, or set of

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes someone who continues to stand by a person, group, country, or set of beliefs and refuses to abandon them when difficulties arise or when it would be easier to give up

Example

Rachid has been a loyal friend to Nikhil for twenty years, through good and bad.

The small shop's loyal customers kept coming back even after prices went up.

collocation: loyal customers

Common collocations
  • loyal friend
  • loyal supporter
  • loyal customer
  • loyal fan
  • loyal member
  • remain loyal
  • stay loyal
Synonyms
  • faithful

    emphasis on reliably keeping promises or fulfilling duties; slightly broader than loyal

  • devoted

    adds emotional warmth and deep personal dedication beyond mere commitment

  • steadfast

    stresses unchanging resolve, especially during difficulty or opposition

  • staunch

    suggests strong, active, and outspoken commitment to a cause or person

Antonyms
  • disloyal

    the direct opposite; failing to give expected support or betraying trust

  • unfaithful

    breaking a commitment or promise, especially in personal relationships

Grammar Patterns

loyal + to + noun phrase

remain/stay/be + loyal

loyal + noun (e.g. loyal friend)

Usage Note

Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' when introducing the person, group, or principle that someone supports. Commonly paired with verbs such as 'remain', 'stay', and 'be'.

Common Mistakes

She has always been loyal for the company.
She has always been loyal to the company.
the correct preposition after loyal is to, not for.
He is loyal to tell the truth.
He is loyal to his friends.
loyal is an adjective describing commitment to a person, group, or principle; it is not used with an infinitive verb.

Word family

  • loyalty
    nounB1
  • loyally
    adverbB2
  • loyalist
    nounC1
  • disloyal
    adjectiveB2
  • disloyalty
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Loyal, faithful, devoted, steadfast, and staunch all describe commitment to a person or cause, but they differ in emphasis. Loyal stresses consistent support through changing circumstances — a loyal fan supports the team whether they win or lose. Faithful emphasizes keeping promises or fulfilling duties — a faithful employee follows the rules even when nobody is watching. Devoted adds emotional warmth and personal care — a devoted parent makes sacrifices for their children. Steadfast suggests firm, unchanging resolve, especially under pressure — a steadfast ally refuses to back down when attacked. Staunch adds the idea of being strongly and actively committed — a staunch defender of human rights speaks out publicly. For example: 'He remained a loyal friend after her bankruptcy' (still present), whereas 'He remained a steadfast friend during the political crisis' (refused to yield).

faithful ↗devoted ↗steadfaststaunch

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • fiercely loyal
  • deeply loyal
  • completely loyal
  • absolutely loyal
  • intensely loyal

Phrases

  • loyal to the end
  • remain loyal to
  • stay loyal to

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchLatinEnglish

Loyal entered English from Old French 'loial' or 'leal', which in turn came from Latin 'legalis' meaning 'legal' or 'lawful'. In medieval society, being 'loyal' originally referred to the legal obligation of a vassal to serve their lord faithfully. Over time the meaning broadened from this feudal, law-based commitment to the modern sense of personal and emotional faithfulness to people, groups, and ideals.