fealty
noun

- loyalty, especially to a king or queen

- in former times, if someone swore fealty to their ruler, they promised to be loyal to him or her

- the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord 

Cambridge Dictionary, Collins Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

"Fealty" comes from a rich linguistic heritage rooted in concepts of faith and trust,… originating from the Proto-Indo-European root: bheidh- ("to trust, confide, persuade”)

Latin: fidēs ("faith") → fidēlis ("faithful") → fidēlitās ("faithfulness, fidelity")

Old French: feauté, fealté ("loyalty, fidelity; homage sworn by a vassal")

Anglo-Norman: feelté, fëauté

Middle English (c. 1300): feaute, fealtye

In Modern English: fealty broadened to mean intense loyalty or faithfulness to any person, cause, or principle

Fealty shares the same root as fidelity, faith, confide, confidence, federal, fiduciary

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THE QUIET POWER OF FEALTY

You can feel fealty popping up in speeches and conversations — and there's a reason for that. Unlike casual loyalty, fealty is about mutual commitment.

Look at the small business owner who kept paying employees during COVID lockdowns, or the team that works weekends — not because they have to, but because they genuinely believe in their mission. Watch a veteran mentor a young recruit, or notice how the best teachers invest in students whom others have written off.

Real fealty shows up in marriages that weather decades, friendships that survive distance and time, and communities that rally around members in crisis. It’s the coach who develops every player — not just the stars. The boss who fights for their team’s raises. The neighbour who snow-shovels your driveway without being asked.

These aren’t contracts or job descriptions — they’re bonds built on mutual respect and genuine care.

In a world of quick exits and instant gratification, choosing fealty — real, reciprocal loyalty — might be one of the most important things we can do. Because the best relationships still run on an ancient promise: I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

abiding loyalty, allegiance, as faithful as a dog (solid as a rock, steadfast as the tide, true as steel), bond of honor (of trust), bonded allegiance, commitment, constant devotion, covenant loyalty, devotedness, devotion, enduring allegiance, faithful companion (heart, partner), faithfulness, FEALTY, fidelity, follow through thick and thin, honour-bound, integrity, knight's oath, lifelong promise, love, loyalty, loyalty through thick and thin, never breaking rank, oath of allegiance, pledge of honour (loyalty), promise, respect, responsibility, reverence, sacred bond, sanctity, servitude, sincerity, stand loyal, standing by someone, staunch loyalty, stick by someone (together), sworn allegiance (duty, loyalty), troth, true to the end, true-heartedness, trust, trustworthiness, trusty, unbreakable bond, unfailing allegiance, unswerving devotion (loyalty), vassalage, veneration, vow, walking the line, walking through fire, wholehearted commitment, worship

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:

"In business, FEALTY between partners often matters more than the contract itself."

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THANKS to Ina for suggesting today's OWAD

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D

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