allegiance

noun al·le·giance \ ə-ˈlē-jən(t)s \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of allegiance

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

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allegiant

play \-jənt\ adjective

See allegiance defined for English-language learners

See allegiance defined for kids

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 of allegiance from the Web

The pledge of allegiance originally omitted those two words until Congress, in an absurd response to godless communism, added them to the pledge in 1954.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Claims Credit for ‘One Nation Under God,’ Which Started in 1954," 3 May 2018
Indeed, Republican senators this week gave Mr. Felder, who represents a predominantly Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, a standing ovation after his pledge of political allegiance.

— lisa w. foderaro, New York Times, "3 G.O.P. State Senators to Retire, Raising Democrats’ Hopes," 27 Apr. 2018
Even if Facebook does manage to scrounge up anti-regulation allies on the right, their allegiance may prove to be one of convenience, as opposed to one forged out of sympathy for the billion-dollar tech giant.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Why Mark Zuckerberg Is Cozying Up to Conservatives," 18 Apr. 2018
All Polished Everything Pledge your allegiance to the golden age of menswear excess with a cuban link chain bracelet, proper tie bar, and mogul-level cufflinks.

— lauren larson, GQ, "James Norton Is Dressed To Chill," 4 Apr. 2018
Monica Puig’s spent her entire life living in South Florida, but her allegiance remains firmly planted in Puerto Rico, where she was born 24 years ago.

— sandra harwitt, miamiherald, "Just two years after winning Olympic gold, Puig is in midst of her best-ever Miami Open | Miami Herald," 25 Mar. 2018
Much of that has to do with him pledging allegiance to the same party that would elect a real estate charlatan who can't even be trusted to proofread his own tweets.

— michael arceneaux, Essence.com, "OPINION: Isn't It Time For Ben Carson To Go Back To Medicine?," 21 Mar. 2018
Corina Barranco says the pledge of allegiance at Lorain High School in Lorain, Ohio, on Feb. 22, 2018.

— TIME.com, "A Dreamer’s Life," 6 Mar. 2018
For others, like Central Florida Christian Academy senior basketball standout Dante Treacy, the pledge of allegiance to a school is just the beginning.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Dante Treacy sees Army as path to leadership," 27 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allegiance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of allegiance

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

allegiance Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

ALLEGIANCE Defined for English Language Learners

allegiance

noun

Definition of allegiance for English Language Learners

: loyalty to a person, country, group, etc.

ALLEGIANCE Defined for Kids

allegiance

noun al·le·giance \ ə-ˈlē-jəns \

Definition of allegiance for Students

: loyalty and service to a group, country, or idea

I pledge allegiance to my country.

Learn More about allegiance

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allegiance

Definition of allegiance

allegiant

Examples of allegiance in a Sentence

Recent Examples of allegiance from the Web

Origin and Etymology of allegiance

allegiance Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of allegiance

Other Government and Politics Terms

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ALLEGIANCE Defined for English Language Learners

allegiance

Definition of allegiance for English Language Learners

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allegiance

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