Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
fealty
fe′al-ty
(fē′al-ty̆)
, Noun.
[OE.
feaute
, OF. feauté
, fealté
, feelté
, 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; loyalty. 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
The
fealty
of our friends. tennyson.
Swore
fealty
to the new government. Macaulay.
Syn. – Homage; loyality; fidelity; constancy.
Webster 1828 Edition
Fealty
FE'ALTY
,Noun.
Fidelity to a lord; faithful adherence of a tenant or vassal to the superior of whom he holds his lands; loyalty. Under the feudal system of tenures, every vassal or tenant was bound to be true and faithful to his lord, and to defend him against all his enemies. This obligation was called his fidelity or fealty, and an oath of fealty was required to be taken by all tenants to their landlords. The tenant was called a liege man; the land, a liege fee; and the superior, liege lord. [See Liege.]
Definition 2024
fealty
fealty
English
Noun
fealty (countable and uncountable, plural fealties)
- Fidelity to one's lord; the feudal obligation by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord; fidelity; allegiance; faithfulness.
- The oath by which this obligation was assumed.
Translations
fidelity to one's lord
the oath by which this obligation was assumed