noun
allegiance
uh-LEE-juhns
noun
1
Loyalty or duty owed to a country, leader, cause, or group.
"New citizens swear an oath of allegiance to the country."
"He switched his allegiance from one football club to another."
How to Use Allegiance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLoyal support and commitment to something, especially a country, ruler, or organisation.
Common pairings
pledge allegiance
swear allegiance
shift allegiance
allegiance to the crown
Word Forms
allegiances plural
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New citizens swear an oath of _____ to the country.
Etymology
From Old French ligeance, describing the loyalty a vassal owed to his lord — the root also survives in the word "liege."