allegiance
uh-LEE-juhnss
/əˈliː.dʒəns/
The loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior, or of an individual to a group or nation.
Carries a strong political, national, or institutional connotation, often involving formal oaths.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'aligeance', which was influenced by 'lige' (liege, free, sovereign). It originally referred to the relation of a feudal vassal to their liege lord, who was entitled to their absolute loyalty.
Word relationships
- loyalty: Loyalty is broad and emotional, while allegiance is structured, formal, and often legally or politically binding.
- devotion: Devotion is deeply personal and emotional, whereas allegiance is duty-bound and institutional.
- treason: Treason is the crime of betraying one's country or sovereign, the ultimate violation of allegiance.
- rebellion: Rebellion is open, armed resistance to an established government or ruler to whom one previously owed allegiance.
Commonly confused with
- alliance: An alliance is an agreement between equals to cooperate, while allegiance is the loyalty of a subordinate to a superior or nation.
Word family
- liege (noun): A feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service.
Collocations
- pledge allegiance
- swear allegiance
- shift allegiance
Idioms & expressions
- pin one's colors to the mast
Example sentences
- "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America." The standard American oath recited by school children.
- "The senator decided to switch his allegiance to the opposing political party." Discussing political shifts.
Memory hook
Allegiance has 'leg' in it. Think of standing on your legs to salute a flag and pledge your loyalty. AL-LEG-iance: Stand on your LEGs to pledge your allegiance.
When not to use
Do not use for casual personal relationships; you do not owe 'allegiance' to a friend you are meeting for coffee.
Fun facts
- The spelling of allegiance was altered in Middle English due to confusion with 'alligate' (to bind), which actually fits its modern meaning perfectly.
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