Definition of pietynext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word piety distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of piety are allegiance, devotion, fealty, fidelity, and loyalty. While all these words mean "faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty," piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

When would allegiance be a good substitute for piety?

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

pledging allegiance

When is it sensible to use devotion instead of piety?

While in some cases nearly identical to piety, devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

When might fealty be a better fit than piety?

Although the words fealty and piety have much in common, fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

When can fidelity be used instead of piety?

The meanings of fidelity and piety largely overlap; however, fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

When could loyalty be used to replace piety?

The synonyms loyalty and piety are sometimes interchangeable, but loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

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 piety While this is considered a trait of piety and beauty in art, it may have been caused by Simonetta’s pituitary tumor. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 June 2026 Eventually, Inaba looks after Mii with all the loyalty, piety, and sometimes uncomfortable intimacy of a person caring for their aging parent. Literary Hub, 15 June 2026 Honoring Catalonia’s Christian traditions Earlier Wednesday, Leo celebrated the centuries-old Catalan tradition of popular piety by praying at Montserrat, a mountain complex outside the city that is dear to many Catalans. Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 Leo celebrated their centuries-old tradition of popular piety by praying at Montserrat, a mountain complex outside the city that is dear to many Catalans. ABC News, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for piety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piety
Noun
  • Though religious thinkers will fight fiercely to show one of the stories to be the one that religion really sanctions, each Abrahamic religion has signposts pointing both ways.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Dialog doesn’t take away from the strong emotions people carry about war, death, or religion and history.
    Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Soul is a synonym for God, or Spirit, and expresses the vast and eternal beauty of holiness, reflected in man and the universe.
    Dilshad Khambatta Eames, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The saints’ books, rich vestments and formal poses were visible signs of holiness, symbolizing their learning, discipline and eloquence.
    Denva Gallant, The Conversation, 8 July 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
  • There are also horrifying incidents of helplessness and despair, as well as touching examples of hope, faith and redemption.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
  • What has distinguished New York, however, is an understanding that disagreement should not come at the expense of partnership, mutual respect, or recognition of Israel’s legitimacy as the homeland of the Jewish people and a land holy to many faiths.
    Herbert Block, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Among humanity’s earliest forms of adornment, beads have carried associations with status, spirituality and protection across cultures and centuries.
    Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • As the years have gone on and his hair has whitened, Gere has become nearly as famous for his charity and his spirituality as his acting.
    Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Kramer is accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State of Syria and arming himself to carry out a mass casualty attack against the American people.
    Mike Darnay, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Cannon’s run remains the high or low point, depending on your school allegiance.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Piety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piety. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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