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

Gerrard’s comments were bold, and of course in favor of the star man of the club to which his allegiance is still very strong, but may be deemed reasonable considering Salah’s consistent run of unstoppable form this season. — SI.com, "Steven Gerrard on Mohamed Salah: He's 'the Best Player on the Planet Right Now"," 25 Apr. 2018 After the New York Yankees, my most embarrassing fair-weather allegiance is to LeBron James. — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, "In Praise of Fair-Weather Fandom," 16 Apr. 2018 In his first season as a Penguins assistant coach, Recchi has his name on more Cups than any of the five other names, which is another way of saying that his allegiance has always been to the game more than any other sweater. — Sam Donnellon, Philly.com, "Mark Recchi: Coaching against Flyers will be 'fun'," 11 Apr. 2018 Remember he's pledged his allegiance to the Republic of Ireland. — SI.com, "Sky Sports Journalist Hails 'Unbelievable' Transfers After Another West Ham Deal Agreed," 12 July 2018 The shooters in that incident pledged their allegiance to the ISIS leader. — Jeff Pegues, CBS News, "5 top ISIS leaders captured in latest blow to militant group," 10 May 2018 Speight's announcement comes nearly three weeks after K.J. Carta-Samuels, a graduate transfer from Washington, picked Colorado State over UCLA after initially pledging his allegiance to the Bruins. — Ben Bolch, latimes.com, "UCLA appears to get its graduate transfer quarterback in Wilton Speight," 13 Apr. 2018 But just recently, some members had been flirting with pledging their allegiance to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). — Conor Gaffey, Newsweek, "ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Somalia’s Al-Shabab Divided Over Allegiance," 25 Nov. 2015 Kakuta is also an international teammate of Elias Kachunga having switched allegiances from France to the DR Congo last year. — SI.com, "Huddersfield Town Eye Move for Former Chelsea Starlet But Face Competition From La Liga Side," 3 July 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.