(in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia), with the nations allied with them (Belgium, Serbia, Japan, Italy, etc., not including the United States), or, loosely, with all the nations (including the United States) allied or associated with them as opposed to the Central Powers.
the 26 nations that fought against the Axis in World War II and, with subsequent additions, signed the charter of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.
the member nations of NATO.
(in World War I) the powers of the Triple Entente (France, Russia, and Britain) together with the nations allied with them
(in World War II) the countries that fought against the Axis. The main Allied powers were Britain and the Commonwealth countries, the US, the Soviet Union, France, China, and Poland See also Axis
Plural of ally
How does allies compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
In war, allies are friends — specifically, friendly nations — you can trust. Allies are on your side. The main meaning of this word comes from war. Without allies, a country is going to be all alone in a war. Like many other words of war, this term spread beyond the battlefield. A politician trying to pass a law is going to need allies, probably in both political parties. Any time there's a disagreement or conflict, it helps to have allies: if you don't, you're all alone.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
President Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X: "With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our Nato Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
After the Second World War ended, the Allies disposed of tons of ammunition by dumping it into the ocean so it could not fall into the wrong hands.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
We remain committed to NATO’s collective defense and clear-eyed about the need for Allies to increase their capabilities to deter all threats to…
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
Allies also agreed to explore air-to-air missile production in Europe, to build more European transport and tanker aircraft, and to build Ukrainian drones elsewhere in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Public Allies was meant as a corrective to this, a means of widening the horizon for young people thinking about careers.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
British units stationed near their U.S. allies would, according to one of Trautman’s correspondents, “beg and borrow” ASEs whenever they could.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
We don’t have the opportunity to just cast aside potential allies because of some twisted moral-purity attitude that we have.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Governments therefore have to decide which capabilities they are comfortable buying from overseas providers or allies.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
In return, it is alleged that Ethiopia has helped funnel arms to the UAE's allies in Sudan, though that is denied by both countries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
It was not enough for him to have made the Church powerful and to have alienated his allies, for since he coveted the Kingdom of Naples, he divided it with the King of Spain.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Definitions 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.
