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 In the wake of the Covid pandemic, countless pieties were uttered about disease control. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026 To be a nation founded on an ideal makes our love of country a more vital force than any instinctive pieties of blood and soil. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for piety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piety
Noun
  • For somebody whose previous experience ends at a normal ebike, however, this thing could be a fantastic machine for discovering religion.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • After the allegations came out, Brand converted to Christianity and spoke about his religion extensively on his social media channels.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • But your compassion, your kind heart, and your holiness are what really elevate you in my eyes.
    — Scott Detrow, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Tesla’s Cybertruck, the hulking, stainless-steel pickup that inspired devotion and derision with its science-fiction looks, will cease production next year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The song conveys the perspective of someone wading into deep waters of enduring devotion, and longing to be the one someone leans on through the highs and lows.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Cui's arrest is the latest case in Chinese President Xi Jinping's long-running campaign to tighten control over religion to ensure all groups of faith abide by Communist Party rule.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2026
  • But his serious lapse in judgment will dent confidence in one of the world’s most consequential companies, at the very moment when investors have shown that their faith in the market’s AI growth story has limits.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • In whatever this biennial is conveying about our collective crisis in spirituality, is the art an instrument or merely a symptom?
    — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The sprawling saga introduces many of the foundational tenets of Hindu spirituality and the storytelling principles that continue to inform all of Bollywood cinema.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Former foes resurface to settle scores and fresh allegiances form, leaving him to act on his own to shield his family and bring things back under control.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
  • All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Donalds, a Republican congressman from Naples, had given MAGA and his dear leader complete and total loyalty, ignoring truth, facts and reality.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Atmos Rewards, the loyalty program for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, has no award ticket change or cancellation fees.
    — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Mercer's dedication has also earned recognition from his colleagues.
    — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • His nicknames usually reflect his role as a catalyst—The Initiator, The Originator, The Godfather—yet less so his ingenuity and down-home dedication.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piety. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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