[ noun ] the loyalty that citizens owe to their country (or subjects to their sovereign) <noun.attribute>
fealty \fe"al*ty\ (f[=e]"al*t[y^]), n. [OE. feaute, OF. feaut['e], fealt['e], feelt['e], feelteit, fr. L. fidelitas, fr. fidelis faithful. See {Feal}, and cf. Fidelity.] 1. Fidelity to one's lord; the feudal obligation by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord; the special oath by which this obligation was assumed; fidelity to a superior power, or to a government; loyality. It is no longer the practice to exact the performance of fealty, as a feudal obligation. --Wharton (Law Dict.). --Tomlins.
2. Fidelity; constancy; faithfulness, as of a friend to a friend, or of a wife to her husband.
He should maintain fealty to God. --I. Taylor.
Makes wicked lightnings of her eyes, and saps The fealty of our friends. --tennyson.
Swore fealty to the new government. --Macaulay.
Note: Fealty is distinguished from {homage}, which is an acknowledgment of tenure, while fealty implies an oath. See {Homage}. --Wharton.
Syn: Homage; loyality; fidelity; constancy.
The middle daughter, Martirio, envies both. Outside swirls a violent, medieval world, with demands of fealty to church and society.
Recent laws would also clip the powers of prosecutors, known as procurators, who are also traditionally appointed for their fealty to the party.
As many youngsters see it, they are a fashion statement, a sign of fealty to a sports team or a fan's tribute to Bart Simpson.
Even after its passage, Mr. Sununu made fealty to the 1990 budget accord the litmus test of loyalty to the president.