allegiant

[ uh-lee-juh nt ]
/ əˈli dʒənt /

adjective

loyal; faithful.

noun

a faithful follower; adherent: allegiants of religious cults.

Origin of allegiant

First recorded in 1605–15; allegi(ance) + -ant

VOCAB BUILDER

What does allegiant mean?

Allegiant is an adjective meaning loyal or faithful, especially to a person or cause. Less commonly, it is used as a noun meaning a faithful follower.

Allegiant is often used to describe a loyalty that is considered extremely important, such as to a country or leader.

Example: Her supporters have remained allegiant to her even in the aftermath of the scandal.

Where does allegiant come from?

The first records of the word allegiant come from the 1500s. The noun form, allegiance, is even older, and originally referred to the loyalty owed to a king or lord. Later, it came to mean a person’s duty to their government. If you went to school in the United States, you’re familiar with the Pledge of Allegiance, which is an oath of loyalty to the country recited by schoolchildren and at patriotic ceremonies. This type of formal loyalty is what’s implied by allegiant.

Now that all-powerful monarchs aren’t quite as popular as they were in the Middle Ages, allegiant is used in different contexts. Still, it usually applies to relationships considered important to someone’s identity. A person may remain allegiant to their home country after moving away. A president’s advisers may be described as allegiant if they remain loyal no matter what. Ultra-devoted fans could even describe themselves as allegiant to a pop star. In just about every instance, people who are allegiant are pledging their loyalty to someone more powerful or something bigger than themselves.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of allegiant?

What are some synonyms for allegiant?

What are some words that share a root or word element with allegiant?

What are some words that often get used in discussing allegiant?

 

How is allegiant used in real life?

Being allegiant means you are all in on loyalty, so the word is usually only used to describe someone who is seriously faithful to someone or something.

 

 

Try using allegiant!

True or false?

Allegiant is usually used to describe someone whose loyalty is casual or could change.