loyalty

The word “loyalty” means steady faithfulness and support toward a person, group, or cause. In plain terms, the quality of being loyal — sticking with someone or something out of devotion or duty.

“Loyalty” is pronounced LOY-uhl-tee (/ˈlɔɪəlti/ in IPA).

Here is “loyalty” used in a sentence: “Her loyalty to her family never wavered, even in hard times.”

Words with a similar meaning to “loyalty” include trueness and faith.

The opposite of “loyalty” — its antonyms — is disloyalty.

“Loyalty” is a noun.

The word “loyalty” comes from Old French. From Old French "loialté," built from "loial" (loyal) plus the noun-forming suffix "-té.".

“Loyalty” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Loyalty is steady, often personal faithfulness and support toward someone or something. Allegiance is more formal, describing a declared or owed duty of support, such as allegiance to a country, monarch, or flag.

Loyalty stresses steadfast support and defence of a person, group, or cause. Faithfulness emphasises staying true and reliable, especially in keeping promises, and is often used of close personal relationships.

Loyalty is normally followed by the preposition to, as in loyalty to a friend, a team, or a cause. The related adjective follows the same pattern, as in loyal to.

Loyalty is generally seen as a positive quality reflecting faithfulness and reliable support. It can be viewed negatively only when misplaced, such as when someone defends clear wrongdoing purely out of allegiance.