Dictionary

loyalist en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈlɔɪəlɪst/

Etymology

From loyal + -ist. Piecewise doublet of legalist.

Meanings

1. A person who is loyal to a cause, generally used as a political affiliation.
   • In this sense, a new loyalist aesthetic can also be perceived in simplistic works such as anticommunist literature and melancholic works such as nostalgic fiction and prose. 2013, Shu-mei Shih, Sinophone Studies: A Critical Reader, Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 101:
   • An obvious characteristic of a kakistocrat is inserting unqualified loyalists into positions of power. Nepotism and kakistocracy go hand-in-hand. 2024 November 17, Howie Klein, “A Plurality Of American Voters Have Embraced Kakistocracy As Their Preferred Form Of Governance”, in DownWithTyranny, archived from the original on 18 Nov 2024:
   • President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director, an extraordinary move that would put a self-described enemy of the so-called deep state as the head of the nation’s top law enforcement agency — a role that would give Patel power to carry out Trump’s threats to go after his political opponents. 2024 November 30, Holmes Lybrand, Zachary Cohen, Evan Perez and Kristen Holmes, “Trump plans to replace current FBI director with firebrand Kash Patel, drawing bipartisan fire”, in CNN, archived from the original on 15 Jan 2025:
   • Cobble Hill’s “first hipster bar” sports a “funky living room-ish setting” with “interesting” artwork on the walls and a “low-key” vibe in the air; a “cool” back garden and occasional “dorktastic trivia” contests lead loyalists to label it “one of the best on Atlantic” Avenue. 2008, Curt Gathje, editor, New York City Nightlife 2008/09, New York, N.Y.: Zagat Survey, →ISBN, page 122:
   • Most estimates place one-third of Americans as loyalist, one-third on the fence, to be swayed by whomever was winning, and one-third rebel. 1999, Harry M. Ward, The War for Independence and the Transformation of American Society, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 35:
2. (alt-of) Alternative letter-case form of Loyalist
   alt of Loyalist

Forms

Deriveds

superloyalist · ultraloyalist

Relateds

loyalism

Translations (22)

es lealista (a person who is loyal to a cause) · de Loyalist (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk лоялістка (a person who is loyal to a cause) · de Loyalistin (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk вірнопідданий (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk лояліст (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk льояліст (a person who is loyal to a cause) · ru вернопо́дданная (a person who is loyal to a cause) · fr loyaliste (a person who is loyal to a cause) · ga dílseoir (a person who is loyal to a cause) · pl lojalista (a person who is loyal to a cause) · nn lojalist (a person who is loyal to a cause) · ru лояли́стка (a person who is loyal to a cause) · ru лояли́ст (a person who is loyal to a cause) · it lealista (a person who is loyal to a cause) · ru вернопо́дданный (a person who is loyal to a cause) · sv lojalast (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk вірнопіддана (a person who is loyal to a cause) · uk льоялістка (a person who is loyal to a cause) · pl lojalistka (a person who is loyal to a cause) · pt lealista (a person who is loyal to a cause) · nb lojalist (a person who is loyal to a cause)