loyalty

loyalty — noun

1. the personal quality of continuing to stand by and support a person, group, or b

1.nounB2
Definition

the personal quality of continuing to stand by and support a person, group, or belief, especially during difficult times.

Example

Baraka showed strong loyalty to his football club, never missing a home game.

collocation: show + loyalty to [person/group]

The soldier's loyalty to her country was rewarded with a medal after many years.

Common collocations
  • strong loyalty
  • unwavering loyalty
  • blind loyalty
  • loyalty to a cause
  • show loyalty
  • prove loyalty
Synonyms
  • faithfulness

    more personal and relational; often used in romantic or close friendship contexts

  • devotion

    adds a stronger emotional warmth and implies self-sacrifice or dedication

  • allegiance

    more formal and public; typically used for country, political party, or leader

Antonyms
  • disloyalty

    the opposite quality of being unfaithful or betraying trust

  • betrayal

    the act of breaking someone's trust after they relied on your loyalty

Grammar Patterns

loyalty to [someone/something]

[someone's] loyalty to [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Typically uncountable. Frequently used with the preposition 'to' to indicate the person, group, or principle that someone remains faithful to.

Common Mistakes

She has loyalty for her family.
She has loyalty to her family.
The correct preposition after 'loyalty' is 'to', not 'for'.

2. the feeling of being emotionally tied to a person, organisation, or cause, often

2.nounB2
Definition

the feeling of being emotionally tied to a person, organisation, or cause, often shown through ongoing support, dedication, and a sense of duty.

Example

Abigail felt a deep loyalty to her old university, returning every year after she graduated.

collocation: deep loyalty to [institution]

Christopher had to decide where his loyalties lay when both friends needed his help.

plural form 'loyalties' for competing commitments

Common collocations
  • deep loyalty
  • divided loyalties
  • conflicting loyalties
  • brand loyalty
  • customer loyalty
  • political loyalty
Synonyms
  • commitment

    broader and more neutral; can describe a promise or duty without the emotional depth of loyalty

  • dedication

    emphasises time, effort, and consistent attention rather than emotional bond

  • fidelity

    more formal and principled; suggests strict adherence to duty, truth, or a contract

Antonyms
  • disloyalty

    the lack of allegiance or support towards someone who expects it

  • treachery

    a stronger term for deliberate betrayal, often with serious consequences

Grammar Patterns

loyalty to [someone/something]

divided loyalties

[someone's] loyalties lie with [someone/something]

Usage Note

Often appears in the plural form 'loyalties' when describing divided or competing obligations between people, groups, or causes — for example, 'conflicting loyalties' or 'split loyalties'.

Common Mistakes

I have loyalty to my work and my family both.
I have loyalties to both my work and my family.
When obligations are divided between two or more people or things, the plural 'loyalties' is more natural.

Word family

  • loyal
    adjectiveB2
  • loyally
    adverbB2
  • disloyal
    adjectiveB2
  • disloyalty
    nounC1
  • loyalist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a steady commitment to someone or something, but they differ in scope and emotional weight. Faithfulness emphasises reliability and keeping promises in personal relationships — staying true to a partner or friend over the years. Devotion adds warmth and a sense of self-sacrifice; you devote yourself to a cause or a person, often giving up something in the process. Allegiance is more formal and public, typically used for loyalty to a country, political party, or leader — soldiers swear allegiance to the flag. Fidelity suggests a principled, almost legal adherence to duty or truth, such as loyalty to a contract, a set of facts, or a marriage vow. While loyalty is the broadest, everyday word for any kind of steadfast support, faithfulness feels more relational, devotion more heartfelt, allegiance more official, and fidelity more exact and principled.

faithfulnessdevotion ↗allegiance ↗fidelity ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sense of loyalty
  • act of loyalty
  • bond of loyalty
  • pledge of loyalty

Adverbs

Phrases

  • out of loyalty to
  • in a show of loyalty
  • where one's loyalties lie

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Loyalty comes from Old French 'loialté', which developed from Latin 'legalitas' (lawfulness, legality). In medieval times, the word described a subject's strict legal obligation to a ruler under feudal law. By the 1400s, its meaning broadened into personal and emotional faithfulness — loyalty to a friend, a cause, or a principle — while still carrying a sense of duty and honour.