Synonyms of fealty

fealty

noun

ˈfē(-ə)l-tē 

as in allegiance

adherence to something to which one is bound by a pledge or duty

as much as I wanted to back my friend up, my fealty to the truth was greater, and I could not lie for him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• allegiance
• loyalty
• commitment
• dedication
• devotion
• fidelity
• faithfulness
• steadfastness
• attachment
• piety
• adhesion
• constancy
• faith
• troth
• devotedness
• affection
• fastness
• fondness
• resolution
• determination
• dependability
• reliability
• firmness
• trustworthiness
• trustiness
• trustability

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• treachery
• disloyalty
• perfidy
• falsity
• faithlessness
• infidelity
• inconstancy
• falseness
• unfaithfulness
• alienation
• separation
• disaffection
• perfidiousness
• estrangement

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fealty distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fealty are allegiance, devotion, fidelity, loyalty, and piety. While all these words mean "faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty," fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

Where would allegiance be a reasonable alternative to fealty?

While the synonyms allegiance and fealty are close in meaning, allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

pledging allegiance

In what contexts can devotion take the place of fealty?

The meanings of devotion and fealty largely overlap; however, devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

When could fidelity be used to replace fealty?

While in some cases nearly identical to fealty, fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

When would loyalty be a good substitute for fealty?

The words loyalty and fealty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

When might piety be a better fit than fealty?

The synonyms piety and fealty are sometimes interchangeable, but piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fealty

Ahead of the hearing, Durbin accused Trump of using the Justice Department as his personal law firm and said he was concerned Bondi will prioritize fealty to Trump over loyalty to the Constitution. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2025

Southerners’ fealty to the party had been based on their appreciation for Roosevelt’s New Deal, and their bitterness over the 19th century Republicanism of Lincoln that helped erode the region’s strict racial hierarchies. —Richard Fausset, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024

Liberal fealty to environmentalists who wanted to protect a tiny fish called the Delta smelt led to a water shortage in Los Angeles. —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025

Werner Herzog achieves a remarkable balancing act of unshakeable (and periodically shot-for-shot) fealty to the source material while complicating its themes and virtually every character. —Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024

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