Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to owe loyalty

to owe loyalty

1 6.3
Have to support and stay true to someone or something
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : deber lealtad
  • Members owed loyalty to a regional headman with the authority to adjudicate disputes, hand down punishments, and summon followers to war.

Examples

  • I used to think that at least I owed loyalty to Brad... ...but I realize now I don't owe him anything.

    'G' Men (1935)

  • It's okay to have a casual conversation, but do not make the fatal mistake of trying to befriend any of them - you are a target; none of them will ever want to befriend you - they owe loyalty to the group.

    Blog text (30)

  • What institutions do they still owe loyalty to if the President is trying to become Emperor Palpatine?

    Blog text (31)

  • We don't really owe loyalty to this new thing walking around in America's clothes or to other people who happen to share a passport.

    Blog text (9)

  • That chiefs continued to owe loyalty to the rulers of the colony-turned-nation was never questioned.

    Academic text (1993)

  • She feels she owes loyalty to her mentor for all the guidance he provided during her career.

  • In times of crisis, many people owe loyalty to their country and support its decisions.

  • The soldiers owe loyalty to their commander, who has led them through numerous challenges.

Synonyms

to adhere
vsto owe loyalty
87 4.7

Continue to follow and support a rule, belief, or person

requires an obligation to support someone rather than mere continued following
to stick by
vsto owe loyalty
  • Informal
47 3.6

To stay with and support someone in hard times

expresses an obligation to support rather than simply choosing to support
to do one's duty
vsto owe loyalty
  • Formal
1 3.2

Act responsibly because your role or job needs it

focuses on general obligation rather than specific duty to support someone
to dance with the one that brought you
vsto owe loyalty
  • Informal
8.5

Stay loyal to people or groups that supported you

is about duty to support rather than support given from gratitude

Antonyms

disloyalty
13 4.1

Not supporting a person, group, or cause who trusts you

Surface Forms

owe loyalty infinitive
owed loyalty past
owed loyalty past participle
owing loyalty present participle
owes loyalty third person singular

Morphology

owe + loyalty

The meaning is directly compositional: 'owe' (to have an obligation to give or feel something) combined with 'loyalty' (devotion) yields 'have a duty to be loyal.' The pattern 'owe + [abstract noun of duty/feeling]' is common and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Owe loyalty uses the image of owe as a debt and loyalty as a promise to stand by someone; imagine you must 'pay back' help or protection with loyal actions. So, owe loyalty means 'to have a duty to be loyal'.