loyal
pronunciation
How to pronounce loyal in British English:
UK [ˈlɔɪəl]
How to pronounce loyal in American English:
US [ˈlɔɪəl]
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- Adjective:
- steadfast in allegiance or duty
- inspired by love for your country
- unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause
Word Origin
- loyal
- loyal: [16] Loyal, ultimately the same word as legal, has a double history in English. It was originally acquired in the 13th century as leal. This came from Anglo-Norman leal, a descendant of Latin lēgālis ‘legal’. Then in the 16th century it was reborrowed from the modern French form loyal. The semantic link is ‘faithfully carrying out (legal) obligations’.=> legal
- loyal (adj.)
- 1530s, in reference to subjects of sovereigns or governments, from Middle French loyal, from Old French loial, leal "of good quality; faithful; honorable; law-abiding; legitimate, born in wedlock," from Latin legalem, from lex "law." In most cases it has displaced Middle English leal, which is from the same French source. Sense development in English is feudal, via notion of "faithful in carrying out legal obligations." In a general sense (of dogs, lovers, etc.), from c. 1600. As a noun meaning "those who are loyal" from 1530s (originally often in plural).
Antonym
Example
- 1. Mr solzhenitsyn was a loyal communist in his youth .
- 2. In any business , the relationship is the intangible , powerful force that creates loyal , repeat customers .
- 3. Another is that fans are loyal die-hards .
- 4. In time , china 's emperors came to think of okinawans as their most loyal subjects .
- 5. A loyal chauffeur likes him .