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• alliance
  alliance

  noun

  the act of allying or state of being allied.
• Alliance
  Alliance

  noun

  a city in NE Ohio.

alliance

¹ American  

[uh-lahy-uhns] / əˈlaɪ əns /

noun

• alliances
  plural

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.

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Alliance ² American  

[uh-lahy-uhns] / əˈlaɪ əns /

noun

1. a city in NE Ohio.

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alliance ¹ British  

/ 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

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Alliance ² British  

/ 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

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Usage

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. 

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• alliances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of alliance

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

Explanation

Countries that have an alliance, or agreement, help each other out when in need. That means during times of war, for example, if two countries have an alliance, one will help the other by providing weapons and supplies. An alliance doesn't just have to be between two countries; you can see alliances formed on a playground, when kids start clustering in groups or dividing themselves into teams to play tag. An alliance is essentially a connection through which a common interest is shared. A marriage is an alliance between two people who decide to share their lives together.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alliance Alliance alliances

Seoul considers the annual exercises with the US core to the alliance and a demonstration of US commitment to defend it against Pyongyang.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

For expert Volodymyr Fesenko, the video marked a clear departure from this alliance.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

South Korea’s foreign minister said the abrupt curtailment took the country by surprise, while the opposition party said it undermined the alliance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

It was the latest jolt to South Korea’s confidence in an alliance that has formed a cornerstone of Washington’s defense strategy in Asia since the end of World War II.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The evolving Indigenous alliance posed a serious barrier to the United States’ expansion.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The defendants were leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance, the group that organised annual vigils in the city's Victoria Park.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Steinhauser now leads the bipartisan AI group called the Alliance for Secure AI, which has been lobbying Congress for regulations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Results of a necropsy by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance are not yet available.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Representatives from the Alliance Party from across Belfast have now written to the council and other bodies calling for a "comprehensive review of pedestrianisation" in the city centre.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

She invited Amy Wilder, an Oakland High School resource specialist who was the faculty adviser for the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

While the majority of its public supports a nuclear South Korea, the government has argued that acquiring the bomb is unnecessary and even harmful to the country's network of alliances.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

To counter the growing threat across Fae territories, Prythian’s fractured Night Court must overcome internal rifts and recent betrayals to restore former alliances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Amanuel told AFP that he wants to form alliances with anyone fighting the Ethiopian federal government, but gave no further details.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

The good kind includes security alliances and trade deals to advance U.S. interests, plus efforts to solve tragedies of the commons like overfishing or Ebola.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

I gathered through overhearing my parents that Brother Fowles had entered into unconventional alliances with the local people, and too he was a Yankee.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver