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

Their career paths mirrored a generation’s ethos—one where staying loyal to a company meant job security and the opportunity to carve out a piece of the American Dream. —Ebony Flake, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024

The flavor of Sparrows Point, no longer loyal to a single employer, is changing. —Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024

While others in Trump's orbit at the time have spoken out against him in recent years, Conway has remained mostly loyal to the former president's cause and may not be too keen on supporting efforts to convict him. —Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024

Warner has always been extremely loyal toward the Cannes Film Festival. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024

In cultures where we are encouraged to work, to be loyal, to be consistent and to be reliable — if these are going to be our values, then not giving up is the point. —Saira Mueller, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

As usual Kylie Kelce remained loyal to her husband’s former football team by dressing in an Eagles T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of Nikes with a green swoop. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2024

If that were not incentive enough to remain loyal, one of Mr. Weisselberg’s sons works for the company. —Alan Feuer, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

Those sham journalism films were misleading because Hollywood’s left-leaning fantasists stayed loyal to Beltway newscaster bias. —Armond White, National Review, 29 Mar. 2024

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

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