Definition of ALLEGIANCE (original) (raw)
1
a
: the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord
b(1)
: the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government
I pledge allegiance to my country.
(2)
: the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides
2
: devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause
allegiance to a political party
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for allegiance
allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.
fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.
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.
Examples of allegiance in a Sentence
He owes allegiance to them for all the help they have given him. Both candidates are working hard to convince voters to switch allegiances.
Recent Examples on the Web The images also detail the allegiance between the Bride of Frankenstein and vampire hunter Saskia Van Helsing, who is featured in the maze as something of an action hero. —
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 Nicky Jam has pledged allegiance to Donald Trump, but the former president seemingly had no idea who the reggaeton star was when introducing him at a Las Vegas rally over the weekend. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024 Sports allegiance implies not a preference but a hereditary and usually permanent fact, like your eye color. —Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2024 Around that time his political allegiances began shifting. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for allegiance 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allegiance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English aligeaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French alleggeance, alter. (by addition of the verbal prefix a-, going back to Latin ad- ad-) of ligeance, from lige, liege liege entry 1 + -ance -ance
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of allegiance was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near allegiance
Cite this Entry
“Allegiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allegiance. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on allegiance
Last Updated: 28 Sep 2024 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!