The Meaning of Fealty: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of fealty? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word fealty, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word fealty mean?

According to the Collins English Dictionary , Merriam Webster and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word fealty is a noun that refers to a loyalty or fidelity, and specifically to such duty owed by a vassal or tenant to his feudal lord. The suffix ties can be added onto the end of fe-al-ty to make the related word fealties, the plural noun. Fealty is two syllables – feal-ty, and the pronunciation of fealty is ˈfiːəltɪ. Below are a few examples of sentences that contain the word fealty. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definition, as is a quiz or flashcards. 

When schoolchildren say the pledge of allegiance, they are showing a performance of fealty as citizens to a superior power with this special oath. 

It was their feudal obligation in feudal society to take an oath of fealty to their lord because they were not sovereign. 

Edward pledged his fealty as an oath-taker to the Saint’s relic at the altar.

The frat boys at Princeton University showed their long term fealty during rush, a coronation of sorts. They had to memorize the seniors’ favourite videos by heart.

She and her partner had deep fealty for their fields, her for her conservation programs and her partner for her fiscal discipline of work.

Many different languages also use words that mean fealty. You may notice that some of these translations look or sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of fealty is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Danish: troskab‎ (common)
  •  Dutch: trouw‎, loyaal‎
  •  Finnish: vasallin uskollisuus
  •  Polish: felonia‎ (fem.)
  •  Norwegian: troskap‎ (masc.)
  •  Bulgarian: васална вярност‎
  •  French: fidélité‎ (fem.), loyauté‎ (fem.)
  •  Russian: ве́рность‎ (fem.)
  •  Portuguese: fidelidade‎ (fem.)

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See if you can figure out what languages the following words are in! 翻译, tłumaczenie, contesto, wörterbuch, překlad, kontekście, переводчик контекст, السياق, תרגום בהקשר, traduzione  

What is the origin of the word fealty?

According to Etymonline, the word fealty has been used since early c14 in 1300 and comes from the Middle English feaute and Middle English fealtye. This comes from the Old French feauté and earlier fealte, along with the Old French feau and Anglo-Norman fealté. The French words come from the Latin fidelitatem, the nominative Latin fidelitas/Latin fidēlitās, Latin fidēlitāt, and the Latin fidelis/fidēlis/fidēs + te, along with the Proto-Indo-European roots bheidh. 

What are synonyms and antonyms of fealty?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can use in place of the term fealty. These are known as synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of fealty is from Power Thesaurus.

  •  troth
  •  devotion
  •  patriotism
  •  obedience
  •  zeal
  •  honor
  •  obeisance
  •  commitment
  •  loyality
  •  trueness
  •  constancy
  •  reverence
  •  devotement
  •  observance
  •  devotedness
  •  adherence
  •  fidelity
  •  submission
  •  dutifulness
  •  love
  •  loyalty
  •  piety
  •  ardor
  •  duty
  •  loyalties
  •  conformity
  •  adoration
  •  steadfastness
  •  allegiance
  •  dependability
  •  obeisances
  •  deference
  •  genuflection
  •  bending of the knee
  •  substitution
  •  superiority
  •  oath
  •  godliness
  •  trustworthiness
  •  faith
  •  dedication
  •  reliability
  •  attachment
  •  obligation
  •  allegiances
  •  trustiness
  •  respect
  •  faithfulness
  •  staunchness
  •  devoutness
  •  worship
  •  adhesion
  •  divined
  •  homage

There are also a number of words that mean the opposite of the word fealty. These opposite words are known as antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your English language vocabulary and knowledge of the words within it. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  backstabbing
  •  amour
  •  apostasy
  •  breach of faith
  •  unfaithfulness
  •  betrayal of trust
  •  rebellion
  •  duplicity
  •  attack
  •  cheating
  •  adultery
  •  bit on the side
  •  bad faith
  •  corruption
  •  treachery
  •  faithlessness
  •  alienation
  •  disaffection
  •  affair
  •  subversion
  •  misconduct
  •  disloyalty
  •  falseness
  •  inconstancy
  •  infidelity
  •  business
  •  co-optation
  •  insubordination
  •  act of disloyalty
  •  sedition
  •  betrayal
  •  co-option
  •  perfidy
  •  disobedience
  •  perfidiousness
  •  fickleness
  •  back-stabbing
  •  crime
  •  treason
  •  falsity
  •  deceitfulness
  •  trickery
  •  breach of trust
  •  act of treachery
  •  breaking of faith
  •  bunco
  •  rebelliousness
  •  mutiny
  •  shame
  •  untruthfulness

Overall, the word fealty means loyalty or fidelity. This word is usually used in the context of the feudal system and refers to the loyalty that a subject shows to his or her lord. This was archaically used generally to refer to any sort of loyalty or fidelity. This word is of Latin and Proto Indo European origins.

Sources:

  1. Fealty synonyms – 352 Words and Phrases for Fealty | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Fealty definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  3. fealty: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  4. Fealty antonyms – 191 Opposites of Fealty | Power Thesaurus 
  5. fealty | Origin and meaning of fealty | Online Etymology Dictionary