disloyalty

noun

dis·​loy·​al·​ty (ˌ)dis-ˈlȯi(-ə)l-tē How to pronounce disloyalty (audio)
: lack of loyalty

Examples of disloyalty in a Sentence

His disloyalty to the company led to his dismissal. She had no tolerance for disloyalty among those under her command.
Recent Examples on the Web The production, directed by Jo Bonney, leans into the novel’s frank depictions of unbounded lust, gleeful disloyalty and bodily functions. Marc Tracy, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 Many of the people who are being detained on what amounts to suspicion of disloyalty may never be charged, but the courts are effectively meting out punishment by placing people under arrest. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023 Despite the disloyalty, their relationship builds like any other — with trust and encouragement. Breanna Bell, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023 For the die-hard country fans of the era, changes in style were scrutinized and careers were often affected by perceptions of disloyalty to the true country music cause. Steven Gaydos, Variety, 3 Sep. 2023 For many of Russia’s elites, the crash signaled the president’s reassertion of control and highlighted the ominous consequences of disloyalty in an increasingly authoritarian state with a long history of jailing, killing or poisoning its critics. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023 No dictator can afford to tolerate that kind of disloyalty: Every moment that Prigozhin lived made Putin look weaker, a dictator seemingly forced to accommodate a man who had directly challenged him, simply because Russia needed the Wagner Group for its disastrous war of attrition in Ukraine. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2023 King Charles, 74, was deeply saddened by the accusations of disloyalty and media manipulation his younger son made against the royal family in his sweeping memoir. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 6 May 2023 In Syria, Wagner fighters developed a reputation for brutality, with a signature style of executing its members accused of disloyalty: beating them to death with a sledgehammer. NBC News, 24 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disloyalty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disloyalty was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near disloyalty

Cite this Entry

“Disloyalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disloyalty. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

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