Allegiance
/əˈliːdʒəns/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
The loyalty or faithfulness that someone feels towards a particular person, country, or group.
/əˈliːdʒəns/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
Loyalty or faithfulness to a person, cause, or country.
He pledged his allegiance to the king.
💡 Simply: Being loyal and faithful to something or someone.
More Examples
2
Their allegiance to the cause remained unshaken.
How It's Used
Politics
"Citizens swear allegiance to their country."
Law
"The defendant's allegiance to the crown was questioned."
From Old French *alegeaunce, from alegier 'to lighten, relieve', from *ad- + leviare 'to lighten'. The sense evolved from 'removal of burden' to 'loyalty' due to the lessening of the burden placed on a lord by a loyal vassal.
Historically, allegiance was often tied to feudal obligations and oaths of loyalty to a lord or monarch.
Memory tip
Imagine a 'league' of loyal people pledging their allegiance.
Practice
Base: allege
allieganceallegienceallegeance
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written