LOYAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does loyal mean? 

• LOYAL (adjective)
  The adjective LOYAL has 3 senses:

1. steadfast in allegiance or duty

2. inspired by love for your country

3. unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause

  Familiarity information: LOYAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LOYAL (adjective)

Comparative: loyaller   
Superlative: loyallest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Steadfast in allegiance or duty

Context example:

loyal friends stood by him

Similar:

allegiant (steadfast in devotion (especially to your lawful monarch or government))

doglike (resembling a dog; especially in devotion)

hard-core; hardcore (intensely loyal)

leal (faithful and true)

liege (owing or owed feudal allegiance and service)

true-blue (marked by unswerving loyalty)

Also:

loyal; patriotic (inspired by love for your country)

Attribute:

loyalty; trueness (the quality of being loyal)

Antonym:

disloyal (deserting your allegiance or duty to leader or cause or principle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Inspired by love for your country

Synonyms:

loyal; patriotic

Similar:

chauvinistic; flag-waving; jingoistic; nationalistic; superpatriotic; ultranationalistic (fanatically patriotic)

Also:

loyal (steadfast in allegiance or duty)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Unwavering in devotion to friend or vow or cause

Synonyms:

fast; firm; loyal; truehearted

Context example:

fast friends

Similar:

faithful (steadfast in affection or allegiance)

 Context examples 

Poor Maria was dubious and frightened, but she remained loyal.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

As to his character, he was reliable on duty, but a wild, desperate fellow off the deck of his ship—hot-headed, excitable, but loyal, honest, and kind-hearted.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You do not ride as light as you did, Oliver, and I ride lighter by the weight of my hair, but it would be an ill thing if in the evening of our lives we showed that our hearts were less true and loyal than of old.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Meg cheerfully blackened and burned her white hands cooking delicate messes for 'the dear', while Amy, a loyal slave of the ring, celebrated her return by giving away as many of her treasures as she could prevail on her sisters to accept.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

After the removal of the cloth, and the singing of Non Nobis (beautifully executed, and in which we were at no loss to distinguish the bell-like notes of that gifted amateur, WILKINS MICAWBER, ESQUIRE, JUNIOR), the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were severally given and rapturously received.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

On the present occasion she addressed herself chiefly to Miss Crawford and Fanny, but there was no comparison in the willingness of their attention; for Miss Crawford, who had seen scores of great houses, and cared for none of them, had only the appearance of civilly listening, while Fanny, to whom everything was almost as interesting as it was new, attended with unaffected earnestness to all that Mrs. Rushworth could relate of the family in former times, its rise and grandeur, regal visits and loyal efforts, delighted to connect anything with history already known, or warm her imagination with scenes of the past.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Love was too fine and noble, and he was too loyal a lover for him to besmirch love with criticism.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“Nay, think again, Sir Claude,” said Sir Nigel gently; “for you have ever had the name of a true and loyal knight. Surely you will not hold back now when your master hath need of you.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This is the sort of shelf on which young wives and mothers may consent to be laid, safe from the restless fret and fever of the world, finding loyal lovers in the little sons and daughters who cling to them, undaunted by sorrow, poverty, or age, walking side by side, through fair and stormy weather, with a faithful friend, who is, in the true sense of the good old Saxon word, the 'house-band', and learning, as Meg learned, that a woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it not as a queen, but as a wise wife and mother.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)