loyalist
Americannoun
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a person who is loyal; a supporter of the sovereign or of the existing government, especially in time of revolt.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) a person who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution; Tory.
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(initial capital letter) an adherent of the republic during the Spanish Civil War, opposed to Franco.
noun
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(in Northern Ireland) any of the Protestants wishing to retain Ulster's link with Britain
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(in North America) an American colonist who supported Britain during the War of American Independence
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(in Canada) short for United Empire Loyalist
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(during the Spanish Civil War) a supporter of the republican government
noun
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a patriotic supporter of his sovereign or government
Other Word Forms
- loyalism noun
Etymology
Origin of loyalist
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He handed over the reins of the military to loyalist and former spymaster Ye Win Oo on Monday.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Min Aung Hlaing is expected to manage a carefully orchestrated transition to becoming president, after he handed over the reins of the military to loyalist Ye Win Oo on Monday.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
But away from the main crowds, some wearing loyalist uniforms whispered a different story: they are public employees, obliged to attend, and still fear speaking freely.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
A poll this week showed Orbán’s Fidesz Party trailing by 20 percentage points among decided voters behind the Tisza Party, headed by former Orbán loyalist Péter Magyar.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
By April, the ANC and General Bantu Holomisa, the military leader of the Transkei and an ANC loyalist, had arranged for a visit.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.