Definition of fealtynext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fealty distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fealty are allegiance, devotion, fidelity, loyalty, and piety. While all these words mean "faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty," fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

Where would allegiance be a reasonable alternative to fealty?

While the synonyms allegiance and fealty are close in meaning, allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

pledging allegiance

In what contexts can devotion take the place of fealty?

The meanings of devotion and fealty largely overlap; however, devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

When could fidelity be used to replace fealty?

While in some cases nearly identical to fealty, fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

When would loyalty be a good substitute for fealty?

The words loyalty and fealty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

When might piety be a better fit than fealty?

The synonyms piety and fealty are sometimes interchangeable, but piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fealty Rhaenyra’s men come later that night and demand Aegon and Tyland declare their fealty. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Then there is one overriding factor in the current political climate — a GOP that pays fealty to a president with little support among residents in the state’s most populous counties. — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 After falsely bending the knee to Daemon (Matt Smith), pretending to swear fealty to Rhaenyra, and handing over a decoy Daeron, Ormund decamped with his army to the unfortified market town of Tumbleton. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 20 July 2026 Here, though, there is little reason to believe that a Senate vote will alter Trump’s demands for absolute fealty from the Justice Department. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fealty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fealty
Noun
  • And underneath the family tensions, robberies and shifting allegiances, Gurrea kept returning to one idea.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For two years, tension over the case has frayed allegiances in Dearborn.
    — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Her resistance ignites a conflict that exposes hidden secrets, shifting loyalties and traditions that have shaped the family for generations.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In a personalist system, leadership prizes loyalty, China expert Minxin Pei told The Beijing Brief podcast, with the consequence that strong figures — potential successors — tend to get weeded out.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And then Jeremy got on the Boys From Brazil thing for television, and those commitments are, like, two years.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to honor the lives lost to suicide, to stand with the families and communities suicide has touched, and to renew our commitment to prevention.
    — Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Certainly, the ancient Greeks appreciated symmetry and precision in their architecture; it’s even been hypothesized that this symmetry was considered divine and thus represented religious dedication to the space.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This included the dedication of New York Square in Jerusalem alongside Mayor Teddy Kollek, himself a frequent visitor to NYC.
    — Herbert Block, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Indeed, in her devotion to sparkle, Pechman declines to probe too deeply into any of the industry’s more hurtful or exploitative dimensions.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
  • By 2017, Cyrus was covering her tattoos with makeup, wearing all white, and singing ballads of marital devotion.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The company relies on high-fidelity training simulators that replicate an infinite number of outcomes, such as system failures and peak-load scenarios, offline.
    — Miroslav Katsarov, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Labor Day Headphones Deals Apple’s AirPods Max 2 deliver an exceptional combination of high-fidelity acoustics and pro-grade active noise cancellation.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fealty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fealty. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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