loyalist

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /ˈlɔɪəlɪst/ UK /ˈlɔɪəlɪst/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like royalist /l/ vs /r/

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a person who remains loyal to a government, ruler, or cause

The loyalists refused to abandon the deposed king.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who remains loyal... partisan supporter adherent follower patriot stalwart devotee

Opposites

rebel traitor dissenter insurgent

Word family

Derived forms loyalism

Related forms loyal loyalty loyally disloyal

Etymology

From loyal + -ist. Loyal comes from Middle French loyal, from Old French leial, loial ('legal, faithful'), from Latin legalis ('legal'), from lex ('law').

loyal Old French legalis Latin lex Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

# loyalist

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈlɔɪəlɪst
**IPA (UK):** ˈlɔɪəlɪst

## Meanings
1. a person who remains loyal to a government, ruler, or cause

## Examples
- The loyalists refused to abandon the deposed king.

## Synonyms
- partisan
- supporter
- adherent
- follower
- patriot
- stalwart
- devotee

## Antonyms
- rebel
- traitor
- dissenter
- insurgent

## Derived Forms
- loyalism

## Related Forms
- loyal
- loyalty
- loyally
- disloyal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: loyal
- Root: legalis
- Root: lex

## Etymology
From loyal + -ist. Loyal comes from Middle French loyal, from Old French leial, loial ('legal, faithful'), from Latin legalis ('legal'), from lex ('law').

## AI Etymology
Loyalist comes from loyal + -ist. Loyal comes from Middle French loyal, from Old French leial, loial ('legal, faithful'), from Latin legalis ('legal'), from lex ('law'). The etymological trail includes Old French loyal, Latin legalis, Latin lex. The same word family includes loyalism, loyal, loyalty, loyally, disloyal. Its current noun use means "a person who remains loyal to a government, ruler, or cause".

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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loyalist

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