fealty
noun
Nicholas Dawidoff
Did you know?
In The Use of Law, published posthumously in 1629, Francis Bacon wrote, “Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he will be a faithful Tenant to the King.” That’s a pretty accurate summary of the early meaning of fealty. Early forms of the term were used in Middle English in the early 14th century, when they specifically designated the loyalty of a vassal to a lord. Eventually, the meaning of the word broadened. Fealty can be paid to a country, a principle, or a leader of any kind, though the synonyms fidelity and loyalty are more commonly used. Fealty comes from the Anglo-French word feelté, or fealté, which comes from the Latin noun fidēlitās, meaning “fidelity.” These words come ultimately from fidēs, the Latin word for “faith.”
Examples of fealty in a Sentence
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 17 June 2025
For many on the Christian Right, anything but fealty to Israel is an affront to their faith.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 17 June 2025
The key, for me, was not fealty to the book or Margaret as an artist — it was born out of the storytelling in the novel that had already stood up to a whole bunch of readings.
—Salamishah Tillet, New York Times, 2 May 2025
In addition to a pledge of fealty, the money can manifest as physical programming.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fealty
Cite this Entry
“Fealty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fealty. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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