loyal

adjective

loy·​al ˈlȯi(-ə)l 

1

: unswerving in allegiance: such as

a

: faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government

were loyal to the king

b

: faithful to a private person to whom faithfulness is due

a loyal husband

c

: faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product

a loyal churchgoer

loyal to the party of their forebears

—Dennis Farney

2

: showing loyalty

a loyal friend

3

obsolete : lawful, legitimate

loyally

ˈlȯi-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• constant
• dedicated
• devoted
• devout
• down-the-line
• faithful
• fast
• good
• pious
• staunch
• stanch
• steadfast
• steady
• true
• true-blue

Choose the Right Synonym for loyal

faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance.

faithful implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.

faithful to her promise

loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray.

remained loyal to the czar

constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows.

constant friends

staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it.

a staunch defender of free speech

steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction.

steadfast in their support

resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose.

a resolute ally

Examples of loyal in a Sentence

The team has many loyal fans.

She has provided the company with many years of loyal service.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Trump’s Washington, that title belongs to a different kind of creature: the ferociously loyal, hard-right, pro-Trump influencer. —Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025

Focus on building an engaged audience that trusts your brand, as this trust is key to converting followers into loyal customers. —Melissa Houston, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025

And there are other airlines, like JetBlue, that have almost entirely Airbus fleets or with their fair share of dedicated flyers — the three biggest airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United, all benefit from loyal credit card point redeemers. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025

Since Trump returned to the White House last month, the Justice Department has forced out several senior FBI officials seen as less than sufficiently loyal to him. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Old French leial, leel, from Latin legalis legal

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for loyal

• royal
• disloyal
• pennyroyal

Kids Definition

loyal

adjective

loy·​al ˈlȯi(-ə)l 

1

a

: faithful to one's lawful government

b

: faithful to a person to whom allegiance or affection is due

2

: faithful to a cause or ideal

loyally

ˈlȯi-ə-lē 

adverb