loyalist

[ loi-uh-list ]

noun

1. a person who is loyal; a supporter of the sovereign or of the existing government, especially in time of revolt.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a person who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution; Tory.
3. (initial capital letter) an adherent of the republic during the Spanish Civil War, opposed to Franco.

Loyalist

¹

/ ˈlɔɪəlɪst /

noun

1. (in Northern Ireland) any of the Protestants wishing to retain Ulster's link with Britain
2. (in North America) an American colonist who supported Britain during the War of American Independence
3. (in Canada) short for United Empire Loyalist
4. (during the Spanish Civil War) a supporter of the republican government

loyalist

²

/ ˈlɔɪəlɪst /

noun

1. a patriotic supporter of his sovereign or government

Derived Forms

• ˈloyalism, noun

Other Words From

• loyal·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of loyalist¹

First recorded in 1640–50; loyal + -ist

Example Sentences

We also believe that having more people listen to The Economist’s podcasts means they will fall in love with The Economist’s journalism and become loyalists to the brand and lead to more subscribers.

From Digiday

As TV networks like Discovery and NBCUniversal stand up standalone streaming services, pay-TV loyalists may reconsider their subscriptions.

From Digiday

Sales have fallen for four straight years as it struggled to win back longtime loyalists who have since gravitated to big box chains such as Target and Costco to outfit their families.

From Washington Post

Musk owns some 20% of Tesla’s shares, and the company’s board is stacked with loyalists.

From Fortune

Jackson was also known for packing postal service leadership with his hand-picked loyalists.

From Ozy

Longworth was born in 1783 to Loyalist parents in Newark, New Jersey.

From The Daily Beast

Beinart describes a Netanyahu loyalist and a right-winger—which is what the Israeli electorate endorsed twice.

From The Daily Beast

But Assad loyalist strongholds and natural advantages in the surrounding mountains, can they take it?

From The Daily Beast

A stick-shift loyalist—even in the dead heat of Washington, D.C., traffic—Wood is a hopeless, car-loving, romantic.

From The Daily Beast

“It has been vicious,” says a Rice loyalist who spoke on condition of anonymity.

From The Daily Beast

The loyalist forces now scoured the insurgent districts, and it was found impossible to prevent many excesses from taking place.

From Project Gutenberg

The jailer, a loyalist, retained his position as a civil detail, thus protecting himself and sons from conscription.

From Project Gutenberg

Burgoyne fell into the error, common throughout the war, of trusting too much to loyalist help.

From Project Gutenberg

Throughout the terrible events of 1789 Mirabeau was consistent as a loyalist and as a patriot.

From Project Gutenberg

The medicine was a great loss: there was no more within reach for rebel or loyalist.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• follower