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

Enabled by the myth of American exceptionalism, this lack of knowledge has left much of the public unprepared for an authoritarian alliance between global strongmen and the American right, aimed at dismantling the country’s multiracial, pluralistic democracy.

From Salon

“To protect the health of our communities, the West Coast Health Alliance will continue to ensure that our public health strategies are based on best available science.”

From Los Angeles Times

It was not immediately clear, however, whether the formation of the West Coast Health Alliance would make it easier for people to get COVID-19 vaccines at the nation’s largest pharmacy retailers, where many people get their shots.

From Los Angeles Times

On Thursday, Hawaii joined California, Washington and Oregon in launching the West Coast Health Alliance: an interstate compact meant to provide science-based immunization guidance as an alternative to the CDC.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday, Newsom announced that California, Oregon and Washington were forming a regional health alliance “to uphold scientific integrity in public health” amid mass firings of doctors and scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times

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.