ally
verb (used with object)
to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage, or the like (usually followed by with orto ).
Trivia Time
Which country did Germany attempt to ally with against the United States during World War I?
ally
1 American
[uh-lahy, al-ahy, uh-lahy]
/ əˈlaɪ, ˈæl aɪ, əˈlaɪ /
verb (used with object)
-
allies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allied,
past participle, past
-
allying
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
allies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allied,
past participle, past
-
allying
present participle
noun
-
allies
plural
-
a person, group, or nation that is associated with another or others for some common cause or purpose.
Canada and the United States were allies in World War II.
- Synonyms:
- confederate, partner
-
Biology. a plant, animal, or other organism bearing an evolutionary relationship to another, often as a member of the same family.
The squash is an ally of the watermelon.
-
a person who associates or cooperates with another; supporter.
-
a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group: As a man, how can I be a good ally to women in the struggle for gender equality?
Straight allies speak up for the LGBTQ community.
As a man, how can I be a good ally to women in the struggle for gender equality?
-ally
2
American
ally
British
verb
-
to unite or be united, esp formally, as by treaty, confederation, or marriage
-
(tr; usually passive) to connect or be related, as through being similar or compatible
noun
-
a country, person, or group allied with another
-
a plant, animal, substance, etc, closely related to another in characteristics or form
Usage
What else does ally mean? An ally is someone that aligns with and supports a cause with another individual or group of people. A straight ally, more specifically, is an individual outside of the LGBTQ community that supports their fight for equality and rights.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
allysimple
-
alliessimple
-
have alliedperfect
-
has alliedperfect
-
am allyingprogressive
-
are allyingprogressive
-
is allyingprogressive
-
have been allyingperfect progressive
-
has been allyingperfect progressive
Past
-
alliedsimple
-
had alliedperfect
-
was allyingprogressive
-
were allyingprogressive
-
had been allyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ally1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English alien, from Anglo-French alal(l)ierier, aillaier, Old French alier, from Latin alligāre “to bind to”; see alloy
Origin of -ally2
Explanation
If you have an ally, you have someone who is on your side, like a more experienced teammate who is your ally in convincing the coach to give you more playing time. Ally comes from the Latin word alligare, meaning "to bind to," like nations who are allies in wartime — they will act together, and protect one another. You can also use ally as a verb, meaning "join forces with." For example, you might ally yourself with influential people to advance your career. As a noun, pronounce ally like this: "AL-eye." As a verb, it's "uh-LIE."
Vocabulary lists containing ally
American History I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The American Revolution - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
James Acaster, her reluctant fellow traitor, was also happy with their choice of ally.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
He is a longtime surrogate and ally, so it isn’t entirely surprising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Azerbaijanis belong to a Turkic group of nations, speaking a language close to Turkish, and Turkey is its closest ally.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
She endorsed Bass, an ally, for reelection and then abruptly and surprisingly announced that she was running against her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Finally, deep in the woods, at an agreed-upon spot, he meets a rebel leader, an ally of his own king.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Beijing and Pyongyang are long-standing allies with a mutual defence treaty, the only one that China has with any country.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Ukraine’s European allies provide satellite and other airborne intelligence, but it lacks the precision, scope and capabilities of that coming from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Katie Zacharia’s first briefing leaves some Trump allies wondering how she will tackle the high-profile job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Raman and Bass were once political allies, campaigning together in 2024 as Raman faced a tough reelection fight in a district stretching from Silver Lake to the San Fernando Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Then they would change them, leaving the United States and its allies in the dark about their plans.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
The message from 1809 -- detailing French and allied troops' positions in two dozen lines of symbols, numbers and letters -- had lain ignored in an online academic archive.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It’s important to say that these are collaborations. In and of myself, I’m probably going to fail, but allied with talented people I have a better chance,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Under its strategy, an extensive “autonomous zone” would be established so that drones and ground robots could blunt a Russian attack without extensive allied casualties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The fighting around Lalibela has involved the army and an Amhara militia that has allied with Tigrayan fighters.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
By morning, the small garrison of American and allied forces could only watch as all of West Berlin was sealed off.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
The Indian National Congress leader Subhas Chandra Bose was convinced that allying with Japan offered India its best chance at ending British rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Analysts anticipate the conservative leader, who championed the legalisation of cannabis, could retain the premiership by again allying with Pheu Thai, now ranked third in surveys.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
Additionally, Brics enables India to advance its core foreign policy principle of strategic autonomy, whereby it aims to balance relations with a wide spectrum of geopolitical players, without formally allying with any of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
It would need support from another party or more to form a ruling legislative coalition, but so far, others have balked at allying with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024
Only twelve years ago, the rebels were at the height of their power, allying themselves with the Tribes and the king of Marinn.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
