fealty

noun

fe·​al·​ty ˈfē(-ə)l-tē 

plural fealties

1

a

: the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord

b

: the obligation of such fidelity

The vassal vowed fealty to the king.

2

: intense fidelity

the fealty of country music fans to their favorite stars

—Nicholas Dawidoff

Did you know?

In The Use of Law, published posthumously in 1629, Francis Bacon wrote, “Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he will be a faithful Tenant to the King.” That’s a pretty accurate summary of the early meaning of fealty. Early forms of the term were used in Middle English in the early 14th century, when they specifically designated the loyalty of a vassal to a lord. Eventually, the meaning of the word broadened. Fealty can be paid to a country, a principle, or a leader of any kind, though the synonyms fidelity and loyalty are more commonly used. Fealty comes from the Anglo-French word feelté, or fealté, which comes from the Latin noun fidēlitās, meaning “fidelity.” These words come ultimately from fidēs, the Latin word for “faith.”

Synonyms

• adhesion
• allegiance
• attachment
• commitment
• constancy
• dedication
• devotedness
• devotion
• faith
• faithfulness
• fastness
• fidelity
• loyalty
• piety
• steadfastness
• troth

Choose the Right Synonym for fealty

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 fealty in a Sentence

He swore fealty to the king.

as much as I wanted to back my friend up, my fealty to the truth was greater, and I could not lie for him

Recent Examples on the Web

That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech’s hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than President Joe Biden’s administration’s and help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights. —Michael Liedtke, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025

That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech’s hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than President Biden’s administration and help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights. —Mae Anderson and Michael Liedtke, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025

That united display of fealty reflected Big Tech's hopes that Trump would be more accommodating than former President Joe Biden's administration was and help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights. —Arkansas Online, 10 Apr. 2025

While the facts, as there are, remain the same, what is different is that instead of straight-arrow Attorney General Merrick Garland, sitting in the top job now is AG Pam Bondi, whose fealty to impartial justice isn’t quite as strong. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English feute, fealtye, borrowed from Anglo-French feelté, fealté, going back to Latin fidēlitāt-, fidēlitās "faithfulness, loyalty" — more at fidelity

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fealty

• realty

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Kids Definition

fealty

noun

fe·​al·​ty ˈfē(-ə)l-tē 

plural fealties

: loyalty, allegiance