Fealty (pronounced fee-ul-tee) noun

Definition

1. the fidelity or loyalty of a feudal vassal to his lord; the oath of such loyalty. 2. extreme fidelity; strong devotion or loyalty.

Main Example

  • Even while pleading guilty to charges of trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with explosives hidden in his shoes, Richard Reid swore fealty to Osama bin Laden and told the judge, "I'm an enemy of your country, and I don't care (what you charge me with)."

    Workplace Examples

  • Walt is more than just our CEO--he's also the founder of this extraordinarily successful and fast growing company! That is why employees are almost slavish in their fealty to him. They'll enthusiastically accept any directions that come down from him, no questions asked!

  • Toni has always shown fealty to the notion that more centralization will help cut costs and produce efficiencies. So her support for this new proposal to decentralize operations is a surprising turnabout!

    Other Examples

  • after reading about the mayor's lukewarm support for having rail transit along any of the city's major traffic corridors, your commenting: "It demonstrates his fealty to the interests of the road construction industry."

  • respected business leaders like Warren Buffet and Paul Volcker urging company executives to pledge fealty to the precepts of Adam Smith, the founder of modern capitalism, who said a business should be a grand and noble enterprise

  • in the wake of the Enron scandal, lawmakers who had always been opposed to more laws governing the corporate sector suddenly paying fealty to the issue of tighter regulation of the accounting industry

  • to dispel the notion that, upon election as the first Roman Catholic president of the U.S., his White House will be influenced by the pope, John F. Kennedy making it clear during his campaign speeches that in official matters he will owe absolutely no fealty to the Vatican

    © 2002 V.J. Singal

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