allegiance
gb/əlˈid͡ʒəns/ us/əlˈid͡ʒəns/
B2
English
~ 6600
hűség, elkötelezettség, lojalitás, hűségi kötelezettség
NOUN
B2
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s allegiance to [someone/something]
Many young voters feel little allegiance to either major party.
Sok fiatal választó egyik nagy párthoz sem érez különösebb lojalitást.
Her strongest allegiance has always been to her family.
Mindig is a családja iránt érzett a legerősebb hűséget.
Over time, his allegiance to the company grew weaker.
The group demanded complete allegiance to its values.
Changing social media habits show shifting brand allegiances.
Learner examples
He feels a strong allegiance to his team.
Nagyon hűséges a csapatához.
My first allegiance is to my children.
Elsősorban a gyerekeimhez vagyok hű.
Some workers show more allegiance to their boss than to the company.
The king questioned the soldiers' allegiance.
Students often have a strong allegiance to their school.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'allegiance' with 'alliance'. 'Allegiance' is loyalty you give to someone or something, while an 'alliance' is a formal partnership between people or groups. Also, the usual preposition is 'to': you have allegiance to someone/something, not 'with' or 'for' them.
Meaning
strong loyalty or support
Collocations
pledge allegiance
|swear allegiance
|allegiance to
|political allegiance
|shift allegiance
|win the allegiance of
Synonyms
loyalty (More common and general; does not always carry the same formal or serious tone as 'allegiance'.)
|
devotion (Suggests deep emotional attachment in addition to loyalty.)
|
commitment (Emphasizes a decision to support or stay with something, sometimes less emotional than 'allegiance'.)
Antonyms
disloyalty (Direct opposite, meaning lack of loyalty or support.)
|
betrayal (The act of breaking allegiance or loyalty, often in a dramatic or hurtful way.)
Themes
politics
|society
|relationships
|values
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Strong loyalty and support to a person, group, idea, or belief.
Loyalty and active support that a person gives to a particular person, group, cause, or belief.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
2
hűség
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] owes allegiance to [a country/ruler]
New citizens must take an oath of allegiance to the country.
Az új állampolgároknak hűségesküt kell tenniük az országnak.
Under the law, soldiers owe their allegiance to the constitution, not to any single leader.
A törvény szerint a katonák az alkotmánynak tartoznak hűséggel, nem egyetlen vezetőnek.
The rebels publicly renounced their allegiance to the crown.
Dual nationals may owe allegiance to more than one state.
In medieval Europe, breaking one's allegiance to a lord could be punished by death.
Learner examples
Every citizen owes allegiance to the state.
Minden állampolgár hűséggel tartozik az államnak.
They signed a paper to show their allegiance to the new government.
Aláírtak egy dokumentumot, hogy kifejezzék hűségüket az új kormány iránt.
The ceremony includes an oath of allegiance.
He refused to transfer his allegiance to the new ruler.
The law punished people who broke their allegiance to the king.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is specifically legal or political. In everyday talk about personal loyalty, it is usually better to use words like 'loyalty' or the more general sense of 'allegiance', not this strictly legal one.
Meaning
legal duty of loyalty
Collocations
oath of allegiance
|allegiance to the crown
|owe allegiance
|transfer allegiance
|renounce allegiance
|treason against one's allegiance
Synonyms
fealty (A legal-historical term, especially for the loyalty of a vassal to a lord; more archaic than 'allegiance'.)
|
loyalty (General term that can also be used for political or legal loyalty, but is less technical than 'allegiance'.)
Antonyms
treason (The crime of betraying or acting against the allegiance owed to one's state or ruler.)
|
sedition (Actions or speech encouraging people to act against the government, violating allegiance.)
Themes
law
|politics
|history
Definition
The official duty to be loyal to a country or ruler.
The legal or formal duty of loyalty that a citizen or subject owes to a particular state, government, or ruler.
Grammar
Dictionary form
allegiance
IPA
GB/əlˈid͡ʒəns/
US/əlˈid͡ʒəns/
Syllables & stress
al - le - gi - ance (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (le)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: allegiance
- Plural: allegiance, allegiances
Word family
Expressions
swear allegiance
1/swˈɛɹ əlˈid͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
state under oath to be loyal
To promise very strongly, often in a legal or official way, that you will be loyal to a person, leader, or country.
Examples
- All officers must swear allegiance to the constitution.
- The soldiers swore allegiance to their new commander.
- He refused to swear allegiance to the occupying forces.
switch allegiance
1/swˈɪt͡ʃ əlˈid͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
change sides and loyalty
To stop supporting one person, group, or team and start supporting another one, usually one that is competing.
Examples
- Several key members switched allegiance to the rival party.
- Fans rarely switch allegiance once they choose a football team.
- The minister denied rumors that he would switch allegiance before the vote.
oath of allegiance
1/ˈoʊθ əv əlˈid͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
formal loyalty promise
A serious promise to be loyal to a country or leader.
Examples
- Immigrants must take an oath of allegiance when becoming citizens.
- The new citizens took an oath of allegiance in front of the judge.
- The soldiers took an oath of allegiance before deployment.
- Soldiers must take an oath of allegiance before they receive their uniforms.
- Breaking an oath of allegiance was once seen as a serious crime.
pledge allegiance
1/plˈɛd͡ʒ əlˈid͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
formally promise loyalty
To make a serious, often public promise that you will be loyal to a person, group, or country.
Examples
- New citizens stood and pledged allegiance to the country.
- Students were asked to pledge allegiance to the school’s Honor Code.
- The group refused to pledge allegiance to any political party.
pledge allegiance
2/plˈɛd͡ʒ əlˈid͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formally promise loyalty
To formally and seriously say that you will be loyal to a country, group, or leader.
Examples
- New citizens pledged allegiance to their adopted country.
- Children were asked to stand and pledge allegiance at the start of the ceremony.
- Members must pledge allegiance to the party’s core values.