alliance

¹

[uh-lahy-uhns]

noun

1. the act of allying or state of being allied.

   Synonyms: affiliation, partnership, bloc, combination, coalition, association

2. a formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes.

   Synonyms: compact, pact

3. a merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states, or organizations.

   an alliance between church and state.

4. the persons or entities so allied.

5. marriage or the relationship created by marriage between the families of the spouses.

6. correspondence in basic characteristics; affinity.

   the alliance between logic and metaphysics.

Alliance

²

[uh-lahy-uhns]

noun

1. a city in NE Ohio.

alliance

¹

/ əˈlaɪəns /

noun

1. the act of allying or state of being allied; union; confederation

2. a formal agreement or pact, esp a military one, between two or more countries to achieve a particular aim

3. the countries involved in such an agreement

4. a union between families through marriage

5. affinity or correspondence in qualities or characteristics

6. botany a taxonomic category consisting of a group of related families; subclass

Alliance

²

/ əˈlaɪəns /

noun

1. 1. the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party acting or regarded as a political entity from 1981 to 1988

   2. ( as modifier )

      an Alliance candidate

Other Word Forms

• interalliance noun
• nonalliance noun
• prealliance noun
• proalliance adjective
• realliance noun
• suballiance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of alliance¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English aliance, from Old French; equivalent to ally + -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of alliance¹

C13: from Old French aliance, from alier to _ally

Synonym Study

Alliance, confederation, league, union all mean the joining of states for mutual benefit or to permit the joint exercise of functions. An alliance may apply to any connection entered into for mutual benefit. League usually suggests closer combination or a more definite object or purpose. Confederation applies to a permanent combination for the exercise in common of certain governmental functions. Union implies an alliance so close and permanent that the separate states or parties become essentially one.

Example Sentences

And when NATO’s European members last Friday reinforced the alliance’s eastern flank defenses against Russia, they announced no U.S. contributions.

From Los Angeles Times

He defended his continued alliances with Russia and China – two nations where unfair elections and human rights abuses have been documented – while calling for a more "democratic" UN.

From BBC

The alliance also recommended all pregnant and postpartum women or those planning to become pregnant to be vaccinated.

From Los Angeles Times

Besides scaling back their ties with the West, they have since formed an alliance to fight the jihadist threat, turning to Russia and Turkey for their security needs.

From BBC

RAF Typhoon jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of the military alliance's mission to bolster the eastern flank.

From BBC

When To Use

What is an alliance?

An alliance is the act or state of being in a mutually beneficial relationship to work toward a common goal, as in The United States’ longest alliance is with France. Often, alliance refers to a formal agreement between nations that promise to assist each other in war, as in Germany, Italy, and Japan agreed on an alliance during World War II. Alliance can also be used more generally to refer to the people or groups that come together in a common cause, as in The invading orcs were defeated by an alliance of men, elves, and dwarves. Alliance is similar to words such as confederation, union, and league, which also refer to beneficial partnerships. Alliance is used more generally than these words, however.Example: The kids at my school formed an alliance to stop the bully from harassing us.