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Prepositions after adjectives

Disloyal to, for, in, by or towards?

The standard pattern is disloyal to someone or something. Disloyal towards is also used. Other prepositions usually do not follow disloyal directly.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with disloyal?

Use disloyal to for people, groups, countries, or principles. Disloyal towards is also possible, especially when describing behaviour. Combinations with for, in, and by are usually not idiomatic as direct complements.

He was disloyal to his team.
She remained disloyal towards her former employer.
They were accused of being disloyal to the country.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
disloyal to + person/group

Showing lack of loyalty

Use disloyal to with a person, organisation, or idea.

The soldier was disloyal to his commander.
She felt disloyal to her friends.
2
disloyal towards + person

Describing behaviour toward someone

Towards is possible when focusing on conduct or attitude.

He acted disloyal towards his colleagues.
They were disloyal towards the company during negotiations.
3
disloyal in + situation

Using in for context

In may introduce a separate context rather than the complement of disloyal.

She was criticized as disloyal in public discussions.
4
disloyal by + action

Using by to describe means

By can introduce the action showing disloyalty, not the object of loyalty.

He seemed disloyal by leaking private emails.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
disloyal to
She was disloyal to her family.
Standard and most common pattern.
disloyal towards
He became disloyal towards the organisation.
Acceptable alternative focusing on attitude or behaviour.
disloyal for
They were disloyal for personal gain.
Not a standard complement after disloyal.
disloyal in
She was disloyal in several business dealings.
In introduces a situation, not the target of loyalty.
disloyal by
He was disloyal by sharing secrets.
By introduces the action showing disloyalty.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for after disloyal

Use to or towards, not for, after disloyal.

✕ He was disloyal for his country. ✓ He was disloyal to his country.

Confusing to and towards

Both are possible, but to is more direct and common.

✓ She was disloyal to her employer.

Using by as the main complement

By describes an action, not the person or thing affected.

✕ They were disloyal by the company. ✓ They were disloyal to the company.

Omitting the preposition

Disloyal normally needs a complement with to or towards.

✕ He was disloyal his friends. ✓ He was disloyal to his friends.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was disloyal ___ her business partner.
2. He acted disloyal ___ his teammates.
3. Which sentence is correct?

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Frequently asked questions

Is disloyal towards correct?

Yes. It is a natural alternative to disloyal to in many contexts.

Can I say disloyal for?

Not as a normal complement after disloyal. Use to or towards instead.

What kinds of nouns follow disloyal to?

People, countries, organisations, friends, and principles commonly follow it.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? damn about, near, for, to or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decent in" or "decent for"?

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