# allegiance

/əˈɫidʒəns/ (US) · /ɐlˈiːdʒəns/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/allegiance
Updated: 2026-05-03

## Definition

a person's loyalty or support for a leader, a country, or a group.

For teachers: the loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.

## Examples

- The soldiers swore an oath of allegiance to their country.
- In many modern democracies, citizens do not have to prove their allegiance to a specific political party to vote.
- The shifting geopolitical landscape forced smaller nations to reconsider their traditional allegiance to the former empire, seeking instead to form new regional alliances for economic security.

## Pitfalls

- Not "his allegiance for the king" but "his allegiance to the king" — The noun 'allegiance' almost always takes the preposition 'to' rather than 'for'.

## Usage notes

- Often used with the verb 'swear' or 'pledge'; typically takes the preposition 'to'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.