What does "loyalty" mean?

1. (faithfulness to a person or group) the feeling of being faithful and supporting someone or something even when things are difficult. 2. (customer rewards) the habit of always buying the same brand or using the same shop.

How do you use "loyalty"?

Often used with the preposition 'to'. Commonly used in the compound 'loyalty card' or 'loyalty programme'.

loyalty

US //ˈɫɔɪəɫti// UK //lˈɔɪəlti// loy·al·ty

1 faithfulness to a person or group (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the feeling of being faithful and supporting someone or something even when things are difficult.

the state or quality of being loyal; a strong feeling of support or allegiance to a person, group, or idea.

Example

His loyalty to his friends meant he never shared their secrets with anyone else.

Example

The manager's unwavering loyalty to her staff earned her their respect and ensured high productivity during the company's restructuring.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'to'.
- disloyalty
- betrayal
- treachery
2 customer rewards (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the habit of always buying the same brand or using the same shop.

the tendency of a consumer to continue buying products from a specific brand or company.

Example

I use my loyalty card every time I buy coffee to get a free drink.

Example

The airline introduced a new loyalty programme designed to incentivise frequent flyers with exclusive lounge access and priority boarding.

Usage

Commonly used in the compound 'loyalty card' or 'loyalty programme'.
- retention
- patronage

Origin

From Middle English loialte, borrowed from Old French loialte, loiauté (Modern loyauté) from loial + -té, equivalent to loyal + -ty.