loyalism
|loy-al-ism|
/ˈlɔɪəlɪzəm/
faithful support for authority
Etymology
'loyalism' originates from English, specifically the word 'loyal' combined with the suffix '-ism', where 'loyal' ultimately comes from Old French 'loial' (from Medieval Latin 'legalis') and the suffix '-ism' (from Greek '-ismos' via Latin and French) meant 'practice, system, or doctrine'.
'loyalism' developed after the adjective 'loyal' (from Old French 'loial' < Medieval Latin 'legalis') entered Middle English as 'loial/loyal'; the modern noun form was formed by adding the English suffix '-ism', creating 'loyalism'.
Initially related to 'legal, bound by law' (from Latin 'legalis'), the sense shifted in Old and Middle French to 'faithful' or 'true', and over time in English further specialized to mean 'fidelity/support for a ruler or established order' and then to political 'support for monarchy/union' in certain contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of being loyal; loyalty or fidelity to a person, group, or cause.
Loyalism among the veterans helped maintain unity in the regiment.
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Noun 2
support for a monarch or the established government; devotion to the crown or existing constitutional order (often used in political contexts).
His loyalism was clear in his public defenses of the monarchy.
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Noun 3
a political tendency, especially in Northern Ireland, favoring continued union with Britain and associated with loyalist (often Protestant) movements and organizations.
Loyalism in Northern Ireland shaped much of the region's politics during the Troubles.
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Last updated: 2025/11/06 22:47