/dis loy"euhl tee/ , n. , pl. disloyalties .
1. the quality of being disloyal; lack of loyalty; unfaithfulness.
2. violation of allegiance or duty, as to a government.
3. a disloyal act.
[ 1400-50; late ME desloiaute, OF desleaute, equiv. to desleal DISLOYAL + -te -TY 2 ]
Syn. 1. faithlessness, subversion. DISLOYALTY, PERFIDY, TREACHERY, TREASON imply betrayal of trust. DISLOYALTY applies to any violation of loyalty, whether to a person, a cause, or one's country, and whether in thought or in deeds: to suspect disloyalty in a friend. PERFIDY implies deliberate breaking of faith or of one's pledges and promises, on which others are relying: It is an act of perfidy to cheat innocent people. TREACHERY implies being secretly traitorous but seeming friendly and loyal: In treachery deceit is added to disloyalty. TREASON is performing overt acts to help the enemies of one's country or government: Acting to aid a hostile power is treason.