allegiance

noun

al·le·giance | \ ə-ˈlē-jən(t)s

Definition of allegiance

1a : 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

Other Words from allegiance Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about allegiance

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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

Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police in the hours after the Pulse shooting. — Tamara Lush, chicagotribune.com, "Jurors begin second day of deliberations in trial of Pulse shooter's wife," 29 Mar. 2018 Students staged walkouts at their respective schools to prove their allegiance to the cause, and many more brushed up on their knowledge of gun laws and statistics, hoping to use their voices to make a difference. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "11 Teen Gun Violence Survivors and Activists on the Parkland Shooting Anniversary," 14 Feb. 2019 Instead, the food acts as mascots for each team, whose members have either tomato heads or burger heads depending on their allegiance. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Fortnite introduces new Food Fight mode for a limited time," 14 Nov. 2018 Over the course of the show, her makeup—whether light and feathery or, eventually, vamped up with the other witches—is a barometer for her allegiance to the witch’s coven. — Halie Lesavage, Glamour, "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," 28 Oct. 2018 These difficulties are having ripples in time; the future that our travelers knew has already been substantially disrupted, putting their knowledge and past allegiances on shaky ground. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Get your binge on: Season 3 of sci-fi gem Travelers is out now," 14 Dec. 2018 And Trump has appointed a number of officials like Craft whose allegiance to industry is clear. — Aaron Rupar, Vox, "US ambassador to Canada tries to “both sides” climate science," 6 Dec. 2018 Pace’s main allegiance was to the 53-man roster, not Fuller. — David Haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Kyle Fuller move paints a promising offseason picture for Bears," 7 Mar. 2018 Federal workers shouldn’t be hired or fired on the whims of political appointees whose allegiance is to their political party, not the country’s best interests. — Eric Yoder, Washington Post, "Budget provides no raise, targets retirement benefits for federal employees," 12 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.