disloyal
dihs-LOY-uhl
/dɪsˈlɔɪəl/
Failing to be supportive or faithful to a person, country, or cause.
A broad, everyday term for any failure of loyalty, ranging from minor social betrayals to major political ones.
The story behind the word. Disloyal is formed by adding the negative prefix 'dis-' to 'loyal'. 'Loyal' comes from the Old French 'loial', which traces back to the Latin 'legalis' (according to the law). Historically, being loyal meant keeping your legal oaths to your lord.
Word relationships
- faithless: Faithless is a more poetic or literary term, while disloyal is the standard, everyday word.
- loyal: Loyal means giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution.
Commonly confused with
- illegal: Illegal means against the law, while disloyal means against a bond of trust (though some disloyal acts can also be illegal).
Word family
- disloyalty (noun): The quality of being disloyal; unfaithfulness.
Collocations
- disloyal behavior
- disloyal friend
- disloyal employee
Idioms & expressions
- turn your back on
- run hot and cold
Example sentences
- "It was incredibly disloyal of him to share our private text messages with the rest of the class." A discussion about a breach of trust in a friendship.
Memory hook
Think of 'dis-' (not) + 'loyal'. It is simply the act of not standing by the people who count on you. Breaking the bond of loyalty.
When not to use
While accurate, it may sound too mild for extreme crimes like high treason or severe corporate espionage.
Fun facts
- Because 'loyal' shares a root with 'legal', a disloyal act in feudal times was literally a breach of contract that could result in the loss of your land.
Explore more words
disaffect, treachery, perfidious, fidelity, allegiance, deceitful
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