fealty

fealty
/fiy(a)ltiy/ In feudal law, fidelity; allegiance to the feudal lord of the manor; the feudal obligation resting upon the tenant or vassal by which he was bound to be faithful and true to his lord, and render him obedience and service. This fealty was of two sorts: that which is general, and is due from every subject to his prince; the other special, and required of such only as in respect of their fee are tied by this oath to their landlords.
Fealty signifies fidelity, the phrase "feal and leal" meaning simply "faithful and loyal." Tenants by knights' service and also tenants in socage were required to take an oath of fealty to the king or others, their immediate lords; and fealty was one of the conditions of their tenure, the breach of which operated a forfeiture of their estates.
Although foreign jurists considered fealty and homage as convertible terms, because in some continental countries they were blended so as to form one engagement, yet they were not to be confounded in our country, for they did not imply the same thing, homage being the acknowledgment of tenure, and fealty, the vassal oath of fidelity, being the essential feudal bond, and the animating principle of a feud, without which it could not subsist

Black's law dictionary. . 1990.

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Synonyms:
, , (to a feudal lord) / , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fealty — I noun allegiance, compliance, constancy, deference, devotion, duteousness, duty, faith, faithfulness, fidelity, homage, humble service, loyalty, obedience, respect, reverence, servility, steadfastness, support, veneration II index adherence… …   Law dictionary

  • fealty — c.1300, from O.Fr. feauté loyalty, fidelity; homage sworn by a vassal to his overlord; faithfulness, from L. fidelitatem (nom. fidelitas) fidelity, from fidelis loyal, faithful (see FIDELITY (Cf. fidelity)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • fealty — *fidelity, loyalty, devotion, allegiance, piety Analogous words: faithfulness or faith, trueness or truth, constancy, staunchness, steadfastness (see corresponding adjectives at FAITHFUL): Obligation, duty Antonyms: perfidy Contrasted words:… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • fealty — ► NOUN historical ▪ a feudal tenant s or vassal s sworn loyalty to a lord. ORIGIN Old French feaulte from Latin fidelitas fidelity …   English terms dictionary

  • fealty — [fē′əl tē] n. pl. fealties [ME feute, fealtye < OFr feauté, fealté < L fidelitas, FIDELITY] 1. a) the duty and loyalty owed by a vassal or tenant to his feudal lord b) an oath of such loyalty 2. Archaic loyalty; fidelity SYN …   English World dictionary

  • Fealty — This article is about a pledge of allegiance. For the journalist, see Mick Fealty. For the novel by Niven and Pournelle, see Oath of Fealty (novel). English Feudalism …   Wikipedia

  • fealty — /fiy(a)ltiy/ In feudal law, fidelity; allegiance to the feudal lord of the manor; the feudal obligation resting upon the tenant or vassal by which he was bound to be faithful and true to his lord, and render him obedience and service. This fealty …   Black's law dictionary

  • Fealty — Oath of Fealty An oath of allegiance paid by a knight to his lord or by a lower person to his knight. Sometimes this fealty was in the form of money or possessions. Often it was in the form of an oath to serve, protect and defend. Obligation of… …   Medieval glossary

  • fealty — [[t]fi͟ːəlti[/t]] N UNCOUNT In former times, if someone swore fealty to their ruler, they promised to be loyal to him or her. Syn: allegiance …   English dictionary

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