fealty : M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for July 10 is:

fealty \FEE-ul-tee\ noun
1 a : the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord b : the obligation of such fidelity
*2 : intense fidelity

Example sentence:
Out of fealty to his boss, who had hired him after no other employer would, Jesse stayed on with the struggling company.

Did you know?
In 1626, Francis Bacon wrote, "Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he will be a faithful Tenant to the King." That's a pretty accurate summary of the early meaning of "fealty." Early forms of the term were used in Middle English around 1300, when they specifically designated the loyalty of a vassal to a lord. Eventually, the meaning of the word broadened. Fealty can be paid to a country, a principle, or a leader of any kind -- though the synonyms "fidelity" and "loyalty" are more commonly used. "Fealty" comes from the Anglo-French word "feelte," or "fealte," which comes from the Latin "fidelitas," meaning "fidelity." These words are ultimately derived from "fides," the Latin word for "faith."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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