allegiance
pronunciation
How to pronounce allegiance in British English:
UK [əˈliːdʒəns]
How to pronounce allegiance in American English:
US [əˈliːdʒəns]
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- Noun:
- the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action
- the loyalty that citizens owe to their country (or subjects to their sovereign)
Word Origin
- allegiance (n.)
- late 14c., from Anglo-French legaunce "loyalty of a liege-man to his lord," from Old French legeance, from liege (see liege); erroneously associated with Latin ligare "to bind;" corrupted in spelling by confusion with the now-obsolete legal term allegeance "alleviation." General figurative sense of "recognition of claims to respect or duty" is attested from 1732.
Synonym
Example
- 1. Likewise thereare many today who pledge allegiance to jesus .
- 2. German exports trump allegiance to the western alliance .
- 3. If she has a theme , it is her allegiance to mr. da silva 's policies .
- 4. Only in bad times would a movement such as mr hazare 's elicit such widespread and emotional allegiance .
- 5. Did I swear allegiance to him .