Disloyal or Unloyal?

by Craig Shrives
The Quick Answer
What is the difference between disloyal or unloyal?

The adjectives disloyal and unloyal both describe a lack of loyalty. Disloyal is widely regarded as the correct version, but unloyal is also acceptable.

Disloyal or Unloyal?

Disloyal and unloyal both describe a failure to show loyalty. Many believe that unloyal is wrong because disloyal is so much more common. (Of note, Google will search for disloyal if you type unloyal, but it will not search for unloyal if you type disloyal.)

Examples:
  • There's the most resistance to an actor singing. It's like I'm being disloyal to my industry. (Kevin Bacon)
  • Normally when most people lose a pet, they get another and keep going on. But it just felt wrong to me; I felt unloyal. (Robert Crais)
Help Us To Improve Grammar Monster

  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.

See Also

adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose?
What are adjectives? List of easily confused words