allegiance

noun

al·​le·​giance ə-ˈlē-jən(t)s 

1

a

: the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord

b(1)

: the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government

I pledge allegiance to my country.

(2)

: the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides

2

: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause

allegiance to a political party

allegiant

ə-ˈlē-jənt 

adjective

Synonyms

• adhesion
• attachment
• commitment
• constancy
• dedication
• devotedness
• devotion
• faith
• faithfulness
• fastness
• fealty
• fidelity
• loyalty
• piety
• steadfastness
• troth

Choose the Right Synonym for allegiance

fidelity, allegiance, fealty, loyalty, devotion, piety mean faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty.

fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

pledging allegiance

fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

Examples of allegiance in a Sentence

He owes allegiance to them for all the help they have given him.

Both candidates are working hard to convince voters to switch allegiances.

Recent Examples on the Web

And while the two eventually hashed out their differences, Campbell has a long history of allegiance to Black America. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024

The home opener was, of course, sold out, and the four months between Ohtani’s signing and the arrival of the season had given Dodgers fans time to buy new clothes to show their allegiance to the star. —Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024

The genre’s history is rife with allegiances to the old ways of American prejudice, and no bearing or social position can change that. —Jason Parham, WIRED, 29 Mar. 2024

In 2015, a new offshoot, IS-Caucasus, cropped up, with militants in the Russian provinces of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria pledging allegiance. —Niha Masih, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024

That’s how a movement transfers its allegiance from the ideas of a man like William F. Buckley Jr. to an X influencer like @Catturd2 and his 2.4 million followers. —David French, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024

Militants in other regions also pledged allegiance to the group and formed local offshoots. —Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024

The Athens, Georgia quintet pledges allegiance to the sounds that powered the Armadillo World Headquarters way back when long-haired hippies like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings roamed the land. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024

Although show season has ended, Gigi’s allegiance to Miu Miu remains steadfast. —Alex Kessler, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aligeaunce, from Anglo-French allegeance, alteration of ligeance, from lige liege

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

allegiance

noun

al·​le·​giance ə-ˈlē-jən(t)s 

1

: loyalty and obedience owed to one's country or government

2

: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause