loyal

American  

[loi-uhl] / ˈlɔɪ əl /

adjective

1. faithful to one's sovereign, government, or state.

   a loyal subject.

   Synonyms:

   patriotic

   Antonyms:

   treacherous, faithless, disloyal, treasonous, traitorous

2. faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations.

   to be loyal to a vow.

   Synonyms:

   true, steadfast, staunch, devoted, constant

3. faithful to any leader, party, or cause, or to any person or thing conceived as deserving fidelity.

   a loyal friend.

4. characterized by or showing faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, obligations, etc..

   loyal conduct.

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loyal British  

/ ˈlɔɪəl /

adjective

1. having or showing continuing allegiance

2. faithful to one's country, government, etc

3. of or expressing loyalty

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Related Words

See faithful.

Other Word Forms

• loyally adverb
• loyalness noun
• nonloyal adjective
• nonloyally adverb
• overloyal adjective
• overloyally adverb
• quasi-loyal adjective
• quasi-loyally adverb
• superloyal adjective
• superloyally adverb
• unloyal adjective
• unloyally adverb

Etymology

Origin of loyal

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, Old French loial, lei(a)l, from Latin lēgālis legal

Related Words

• ardent
• devoted
• dutiful
• patriotic
• staunch
• steadfast
• true
• trustworthy